Black Lagoon: Alpha and Omega
by Ricknarok
Summary: Hunter has been underestimated. His Dead Men are far more powerful and resourceful than Roanapur's leaders gave them credit for. Now, the dark crime lord has made a serious move towards taking down the city's ruling factions, while Lagoon Company race to stop him before it's too late... 'Book 2 of the "City of Fire" Trilogy.'
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Glimmer of Hope

The large iron gates were open when Wolf walked up to the estate. It was just like he remembered it, with gorgeous flowers everywhere, birds chirping in the morning air and a gentle breeze blowing in over him. He felt oddly nervous as he came to a stop before the gateway. There was nobody in sight. They were all likely inside. He needed to do this. He was out of options. Ulysses's death three days ago had not only been a shockingly unexpected turn of events, but it forced the rest of Roanapur to be on high alert. Wolf wouldn't have the time to pursue this endeavour himself, not with other matters in the way. That was why he was forced to seek help. He had hoped to leave them in peace, to let them live out their lives without the threat of danger looming over them. But he couldn't think of anybody else for the job. Lucille was someone he wanted to keep close for Usagi's sake and her presence would no doubt be discovered by Hotel Moscow if she went around the city. Otherwise, she would be perfect for this job. Regardless, Wolf was here now. He poised himself for the encounter to come as he strode through the gates and entered the courtyard. The door at the far end opened and a woman came out then, someone he did not recognise. She was a plump woman, wearing a maid's outfit. Wolf assumed she was a temporary employee of the Lovelace household, seeing as how he had never seen her before. She came to a stop in front of him and smiled, although he could practically sense her discomfort.

"Can I help you?" she asked. What a question. He wasn't exactly sure where to begin. He began by removing his sunglasses, bright though the sun was. He didn't imagine they lessened her discomfort.

"I was wondering if Garcia was home," he asked sheepishly. "And his maids. I have…well, I have business to discuss with them."

"Business?" the woman asked. "The Young Master did not tell us he was expecting visitors." Her voice was high and jolly, but her tone was almost rude.

"He's not expecting me," Wolf told her. "Look, he knows me. Just tell him the Wolf is here to see him." The woman narrowed her eyes for a few seconds before deciding it would be wise to just go along with that request. If he did mean them harm, he was sure he'd be dead in a few minutes anyway. It didn't take long for Garcia to emerge from inside. His expression was curious as he looked down the length of the yard at the assassin. He came forward hurriedly.

"Mister Wolf!" he exclaimed excitedly. The assassin supposed that was just how he would be addressed here from now on. He spotted Roberta and Fabiola in the doorway the young boy had come from moments before. They, too, were peering down at him as if to make sure it was actually him. The plump woman looked abashed, now, embarrassed that Garcia actually did know Wolf. "I didn't think you'd come back!" Roberta and Fabiola came up behind him as the unknown woman waddled back inside. Wolf scratched the back of his neck nervously. He had gotten on surprisingly well with the Lovelaces. After the threat of Godswrath and Lucille had been quelled, Garcia offered him a place in their estate. The boy would be disappointed to learn that Wolf would not be staying. Not only that, but he hoped to take Roberta with him.

"Well…not for long, actually," he began. "It's good to see you, though." Garcia did look a tad disappointed at that. Despite the kind, orderly nature of the Lovelaces and his distaste for Roanapur, he was uncharacteristically accepting of the Wolf as a friend of the family. "I actually came to speak to Roberta." Garcia turned to look at his former maid for a second and smiled. She meant a great deal to him. It was obvious to anyone that his feelings for her were far stronger than they appeared at face value. He went on back inside with Fabiola and the unnamed woman, leaving the other two alone.

"I didn't expect to see you," Roberta told him. "All is well, I take it?" His face gave it away immediately.

"No," he said solemnly. "No, it's not. I wouldn't have come if it wasn't absolutely necessary. I know you won't want to hear it, but I need you to come back with me. A lot of shit has happened since you left." She was evidently surprised by this. Even she did not expect more trouble to find Roanapur after the year it had had. While Roberta had once been one of the fiercest human beings on the planet, she had been reduced to a shadow of her former self. In her current condition, her combat skills would not impress like they once had. The fact that Kane managed to down her during his siege of the city proved that much. She would undoubtedly have been able to kill him otherwise. But, when all was said and done, she was still the Bloodhound of Florencia. Her skills at tracking her targets and the relentlessness she was known for were unmatched. If anyone could do what Wolf wanted, it was her.

"You ask a lot," she answered. "I swore long ago to lay down my weapons in service to the Lovelace family. I broke that oath once before, I do not wish to do so again. The Young Master would not approve of such behaviour." She fell silent, but it was obvious she had more to say. Her cheeks flushed with faint colour for a moment. "And…I am not the woman I once was. I doubt I can accomplish whatever it is you need me for." That was disappointing to say the least. Wolf had never seen the Bloodhound's handiwork first hand, but he had heard enough during his training under Sif. Not only that, but she had been a formidable killer even with her incapacitations the last time she had been in Roanapur. "What was it you needed?" she asked then. Where to begin. Wolf wouldn't tell her everything now, there was far too much to go over.

"I need you to track someone down," he started. "There's this assassin, calls himself Black Bear. He, uh…he pissed off a lot of people. Me included. Everyone else is occupied or soon will be. That's why I came to you." Her hand subconsciously went to the crucifix draped around her neck. It was understandable that she did not want to leave. She had been through enough torment and bloodshed for all of them. The only reason she came back to Roanapur in the first place was because of Kane and the threat he posed to the Lovelaces. Now, she had no reason to concern herself with the plights of the city. But Wolf needed her for this, more than she knew. And she could sense that there was more going on than he was telling her. For that reason alone, she almost seemed to be considering it. "The others will not approve."

"I don't imagine so," Wolf agreed. "But you won't be in that much danger. This guy doesn't hold a candle to you. He's probably pissing his pants already with the shitstorm that's waiting for him if he steps outside. All I need you to do is give me a place to look." That seemed to sway her a bit more. Knowing Roberta, she would probably engage Bear rather than just discover where it was he was hiding and directing Wolf there. As long as she survived, Wolf was happy. He just wanted Black Bear.

"Alright," she agreed, much to the pleasure of Wolf. "Just give me a moment." She hurried back inside then to get her things and explain to the others that she would be leaving yet again. If her extended absence was anything to go by, Garcia was not taking it too well that she was leaving him. Before, he had been with her when she left, softening the blow of putting her in danger. Now, he would be forced to live every day without knowing if she was alive or dead. That understandably must have terrified him. When Roberta did emerge again, she wore her combat gear and carried a duffle bag in her hand. They headed out to a military plane that would take them back to Thailand. The pilot was a greasy old man, but the only smuggler Wolf could get a hold of on such short notice. Once they were aboard, Roberta predictably began her questioning. "Now that we have the time, what is it you weren't telling me back there?" Wolf supposed there was no point in postponing the inevitable. He started from the top, explaining that Usagi had come seeking shelter from her father and that the Dead Men were soon to follow. To even recount the tale was unpleasant.

"The fucker's name is Hunter," he went on. "He's supposed to be some big bad criminal back in China. He killed Ulysses not three days ago. He hired these two assassins to take out the city's leaders. Black Bear…he wasn't so easily tamed." He paused for a second and his eyes stared blankly into space as he poised himself for what he was about to say. "He raped Usagi. Just fucking left her there in my apartment. Christ…what a sight to come home to. Now, even Hunter doesn't want anything to do with him. That gives us an advantage, at least." He looked back towards Roberta. Her face hadn't changed drastically, but there were subtleties there that showed how disgusted she actually was. "I need you to find him. I'm not letting him off easy." Roberta nodded, leaning against the side of the plane's interior beside him. She must have been wondering what she had agreed to. This was not going to be easy, especially for her. If the Bear didn't put up a fight, the Dead Men would still be racing her to take out the assassin first. Not to mention how Balalaika would react, of course. She would likely have the Bloodhound killed as soon as she was spotted involving herself in the city's affairs. It was a risky move she was making on the account of the Wolf. He appreciated this. Was it not for her agreement to go along with this, Black Bear might well get away unharmed. Or, worse, the Dead Men might get to him first.

"You should have come back with us," Roberta said then. "After Lucille. The Young Master offered you a place with us." Wolf laughed to himself at the absurdity of the situation he was in. If he had taken Garcia up on that offer, he would likely be living peacefully right now, with none of this business to deal with. Usagi would be dead or under the care of her father back home and the Dead Men would never have come to Roanapur. It genuinely bothered the assassin sometimes how ashes seemed to be left in his wake. He wondered how different Roanapur would be if he never came to the cursed city.

"I wanted to," he told Roberta, still not looking at her. His mind was troubled, more than it had been in a long time. "I really did. Wasn't sure if I'd even be welcome, but it was a tempting offer. But I kept thinking to myself that this is all on me, you know? You weren't around at the time, but Sif…the woman who trained me, she came to the city looking for me. And for Ulysses. After that, Kane showed up with his Marchers. You know all too well the only reason he was in charge of those mercenaries was because, surprise surprise, I killed their last leaser. And Lucille…only reason she even knew the city existed was because of all the shit that happened before her arrival." He paused and removed his left glove, examining the marks and grooves in his skin as if to occupy himself. "I almost feel responsible for the city. Like anything that happens to it is my fault. And I know it's stupid, but…it's not gonna change. That's part of why I didn't come back to Venezuela." The silence that followed was broken only by the thunderous sound of the plane's engines. It would take hours before they were back in Thailand.

"I will find this Black Bear," Roberta assured Wolf. "He will not hide from me, I promise you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Hunt

The streets were strangely quiet as Revy and Rock emerged from the Yellowflag. Most nights in Roanapur were filled with the ever-present sound of gunfire and fighting. Tonight, there was nothing, only an eerie silence. The presence of the Dead Men would not have had such an evident effect on the city, even they were not enough to scare Roanapur's killers. Something else was afoot. The Yellowflag itself had been empty enough, too. While most nights it would be filled with cartels, murderers, bounty hunters and all manner of killer, tonight it had been strangely vacant, occupied by only a handful of unknown criminals. That was partially why Rock and Revy decided to leave. The bar was boring most nights, but tonight had been an exception. They weren't going to waste their time there. Rock reached into his pocket for the keys to the car. He had only had one drink, after all. There was no point in walking home now.

"Goddammit, Rock, could ya hurry the hell up?!" Revy screeched at him, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. Rock frowned sullenly. Revy had been in a worse mood lately. Not only had Usagi's lament worsened her mood, but the fact that they had no news of Hunter coupled with Hotel Moscow's silence and Ulysses's death permanently annoyed her. She didn't speak much and when she did, her tone was abrasive and her words were harsh.

"What's gotten into you, Revy?" he ventured as he fumbled with the keys in his hand and lackadaisically searched for the right one. "You're even more pissed off than usual." She leaned her elbow on the roof of the car as she waited for him to open it.

"It's nothing," she grumbled. "Just sick of waiting around for something to do. I almost hope Hunter makes a move on the city. At least then I'd have something to shoot at."

"Careful what you wish for," Rock told her, motioning behind him with his free hand. Several trucks and cars passed by them at alarming speeds, full to the brim with armed men and women.

"Shit, did I miss the memo?" Revy asked, resting her hand on the butt of her gun. "When did the circus roll into town?" At least eight vehicles sped past, none of which contained anyone they recognised. A small sedan came around the corner then just as Rock opened the car door. It passed them by for a moment before coming to a stop and reversing. In the front, Lotton the Wizard sat as silent and inexpressive as ever. Beside him, Revy could see the unmistakable pale face of Sawyer the Cleaner, the grisly scar across her throat visible even in this light. Her chainsaw sat firmly between her legs. And as predictable as ever, Shenhua was in the back with both her kukri in her hands. She rolled down the window when she spotted them. "Chinglish! The fuck is going on?"

"Oh, you not hear?" the Taiwanese assassin droned in her whiny, broken English. "Hotel Moscow offer ten grand for every Dead Men pretty boy we kill. We thought you would know."

"Shit, that's what brought every bounty hunter in the city out of hiding, huh?" Revy asked, looking further up the road where the other vehicles had gone. "Where's everyone headed?"

"We receive anonymous tip," Shenhua went on. "Apparently, Hunter's boys set up camp not far from here." The car took off again, Shenhua's head still sticking out the window. "Better hurry if you want in!"

"Fuck! Step on it, Rock!" She hopped into the car as an exasperated Rock rolled his eyes. He complied, either out of exhaustion or a desire to avoid a beating from the money hungry Revy.

"I'm going to regret this," he groaned as he took off after the sedan. "This is going to end in another shootout, isn't it?"

"I'm counting on it!" Revy exclaimed gleefully, cocking one of her Cutlasses. Rock audibly sighed as he anticipated yet another bombastic firefight like the one he had seen when he had attempted to rescue Greenback Jane. Hopefully the boathouse wouldn't be burned to the ground this time. "Quit bitching, Rock! This'll be the most fun I've had in weeks."

"I didn't say anything!" he snapped. Revy gently kicked him.

"Eyes on the road, jackass." They followed Shenhua's car to the western side of Roanapur, where all the cars and trucks came to a stop outside what looked to be an abandoned steelyard. The office building was at the forefront, the lights all off. Despite this, Revy could very easily spot the glint of a scope in the single open window in the very top office. This was mere seconds before one of the trucks that had been parked came under heavy fire. It only took twenty seconds for the front half of the truck to be reduced to scrap metal. "Damn! Fucker must be using hollow points. Keep your head down, Rock. I don't want to come back and have to clean your brain off the seats." She leapt from the car and immediately opened fire on the opened window, shattering the glass and surrounding wall to a mess of debris and glass. She dropped down behind the sedan with Shenhua and her roommates to reload. The rest of the killers here looked like they hadn't faced off against dogs before, never mind trained fighters like the mystery gunman clearly was. They would all be dead in minutes. "Who the fuck are the newbies?!"

"They only come to Roanapur few days ago," Shenhua explained. "They must have heard Dead Men were here. Hotel Moscow offer money and city fills up."

"Amateurs," Revy scoffed. As the onslaught continued and eight of the twenty-four unknowns were gunned down, a squad of five men emerged from the steelyard. Their outfits reminded Revy of Ulysses's death, sending a shiver down her spine. The bounty hunters didn't stand a chance. If the gunman's fire didn't kill them, the newly appeared Dead Men did. Shenhua shot up from behind cover and sent one of her blades slicing through the air. Its fine edge easily tore through three of the attackers, sending their heads rolling as she ducked back down behind cover.

"Maybe you try kill one now, hm?" she mocked with a smile. Revy practically growled in response. Her brow furrowed then as she looked around her.

"Where'd your freakshow go?" The ridiculousness of the sentence that reached their ears answered that.

"Halt, gentlemen!" Lotton's overconfident voice came. He had managed to climb up onto the fire escape and produce both of his Mausers as he addressed the Dead Men below. They all looked utterly bewildered. "Death comes for you this day, and its name is Wizard! Lotton the Wizard!" Revy audibly moaned in disgust.

"Why did he even come?!"

"Ah, he not so bad," Shenhua defended him. "Besides, I not bring him for killing. Wait and see."

"What a glorious night that sweeps in over us," Lotton went on, much to the bewilderment and chagrin of the others. "The moon is high in the black night sky and a cool breeze has set in. Remember it, gents, for it will be the last-" His words were cut off by the roar of a chainsaw that startled even Revy as she peered over the side of the sedan. Sawyer had snuck up behind the unsuspecting men, her weapon now eating into several of them. While Lotton had undoubtedly been intent on killing the Dead Men himself, he served better as a distraction for the others than anything else. Revy took out two of the remaining survivors with headshots and Shenhua cut down the remnants of them. All that was left now was the mystery gunman in the office building, who proceeded to take out the remaining nameless bounty hunters.

"Hey, weirdo!" Revy called up to Lotton. "Make yourself useful and get to that fucker before he escapes." Lotton nodded at her before climbing the fire escape, keeping his Mausers at the ready just in case. The rest of them entered the building and started up the stairs in case the shooter decided to escape that way instead. "Come on, Chinglish, we don't want this fucker taking off. Ten grand, remember?"

"Only twenty for you, such a shame," the Taiwanese woman teased, referring to the two Dead Men Revy had killed outside. "Unless you kill gunman first."

"Try and get there before me, ya dumb bitch," Revy spat as she raced up the stairs. The three of them burst through the double doors to the office at the top of the building and raised their weapons, ready to fire. Lotton caught their eyes first. They assumed he had managed to kill the stranger until they spotted the Glock to his head. The gunman had managed to disarm him, it seemed, and now held him hostage. The rifle he presumably used to kill the other bounty hunters was around his shoulder. His short hair was black and spiked upwards, and he wore a sleeveless black leather jacket over a white t-shirt. He smiled at the three women when he noticed their raised weapons.

"So, let me throw a question at yous," he spoke, his accent similar to Wolf's but coarser and more abrasive. It reminded them of Shenhua's former colleague, Leigharch. "Who the fuck hired the mental patient? 'Lotton the Wizard?' Come on, this fucker can't be for real." He almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

"And who the fuck are you?" Revy asked, her Cutlasses trained on him. Personally, she didn't much care about Lotton's safety, but she knew that the other two wouldn't take too kindly to his death. That, and she was curious about this man. He must have had useful information, given that he was clearly in charge of an installation of Hunter's people.

"Max Kepler, if ya please," he greeted them sarcastically. As soon as he noticed Shenhua inching closer and closer to him, he pressed the side of the Glock harder against Lotton's head. "I wouldn't try it, sweetheart. Otherwise, Gandalf here is going to get his mystical brains blown out." The fact that Kepler hadn't been intercepted by Chang was troubling. Either the Triad had made no move to act upon Wolf's information or Max hadn't been at the strip club when Olivia said he would be. If that was the case, they would need to pay her a visit again.

"You think you tough, huh, pretty boy?" Shenhua mocked him. "Maybe you let him go and I skin your ass for free." Max exploded with laughter at that, though not long enough for them to get a hit in on him.

"That's not really a fair offer, now, is it?" he muttered. "If you're looking for information on Hunter, I'm afraid I'm no use to yous. Might as well pack your bags now and fuck off home."

"We'll get to your boss eventually," Revy warned him. "And I sure as hell ain't letting your pretty little ass walk out that door when there's ten grand going."

"Ten grand?" Max exclaimed. "Shit, I thought I'd be worth more than that to the Ruskie bitch." He smirked at them then as his grip on Lotton loosened. "I'm sorry to say you won't be seeing that money anytime soon. But I'm sure I'll see yous all again. This shithole city has a habit of throwing people together. So don't look so sad." Before they could do anything, Max threw Lotton to the ground and fired a shot. The bullet planted itself into Shenhua's side, sending her back down the stairs. The unprecedentedness of it distracted Revy long enough for Kepler to get away. When they turned to face him again, he was nowhere to be seen, likely having gone down the fire escape.

"Chinglish, you alright down there?!" Revy called, eager to go after Kepler. If he was stupid enough, which he likely wasn't, he would lead them straight to Hunter. They heard Shenhua grunt in pain as she unsteadily came to her feet.

"I fine!" she called back. "You kill Irish boy for me, yes?"

"With fucking pleasure!" Revy agreed as she ran to the window and hopped out onto the fire escape. Predictably, Max was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't even worth her while trying to follow him now.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Gods of This World

"Had the Rip-Off Church drop off a goodie bag for ya," Wolf told Roberta as they pulled up outside his apartment. "Should have enough stuff to get you started."

"You left the girl alone?" Roberta asked then, looking towards the door. She assumed Usagi had no other allies in this city. To leave her alone would have been incredibly foolish, especially after what happened to her the last time she had been left unaccompanied. Wolf would never be so stupid again. He coughed nervously as the two of them exited the car.

"Not exactly," he replied slowly. He wasn't entirely sure about Roberta's feelings towards Lucille. She certainly did not seem to show any animosity anytime the Englishwoman was mentioned. Still, they had never been in the same vicinity since the last time the Bloodhound was in Roanapur. "She's with Lucille." He paused as he waited for a response. Her face gave nothing away.

"You trust her?" she asked simply. Wolf frowned as he leaned on the roof of his car. That was a hard question to answer.

"I suppose," he mumbled. "More than a lot of others in this city, anyway. She's not as bad as you might think." Roberta did not look so convinced but she didn't argue. She had other matters to attend to. Wolf strode up to the door and put the key in the lock. He was certain no danger would reach Usagi, but he could never be too careful. On the off chance something had happened, he rested his palm on the butt of his Desert Eagle as he entered. Sure enough, Lucille sat firmly in the wooden chair outside Usagi's room with an M14 in her hand. "Still hasn't left her room?"

"Not once," Lucille answered. Her eyes went to Roberta immediately but she did not stare. "Hasn't eaten a thing, either." Wolf sighed. It had been several days now. Usagi refused to eat and if her intermittent cries during the night were anything to go by, she wasn't sleeping either. It secretly tore the assassin up inside to see her that way. All was silent for several moments as the two women very obviously tried not to stare at one another.

"You know Roberta, right?" Wolf asked in a poor attempt to diffuse the tension. Lucille smirked.

"Of course," she answered, almost imperceptibly shooting the assassin a look of derision for even mentioning it. "Pleasure's all mine." Roberta attempted a smile, though it looked incredibly forced. Wolf reached for the duffle bag under the table and unzipped it, revealing a Dragunov sniper rifle, several clips of ammo and a pouch of frag grenades.

"I wasn't sure what you'd be used to," Wolf said. "Any old gun will do the trick, after all. Keep him alive, if possible."

"I'll find him," Roberta assured. "You'll be the first to know as soon as I come up with anything." She clumsily zipped up the bag then, slung it over her shoulder and left the apartment. When Wolf turned around, Lucille had a look of mischief on her face.

"Want to tell me what that was about?"

"She's going after Black Bear," Wolf told her, giving her a look that suggested she had gone insane. Considering he outlined this to her when he asked her to watch Usagi, he assumed she would know what had just happened.

"I gathered," she told him. "When you told me you were calling in an old friend, I assumed you meant someone who had both arms. And eyes. Maybe a few important fingers left, even. She doesn't look like she could track down a priest in a church." If it was anyone else that had just been handed that bag of weaponry, Wolf might agree. But he trusted Roberta. Even in her current condition, she was still formidable.

"She _is_ the Bloodhound, after all," he said. "I'm sure she can handle herself, both arms or not. She'll get the job done." Lucille's eyes widened momentarily as she stared at the door for several seconds.

"Hold it," she began, setting down her rifle and rising from the chair. "That's the Bloodhound?! _The_ Bloodhound?!" Wolf almost laughed at the realisation that Lucille never knew Roberta's true identity.

"You're telling me you never fucking knew that?" he asked, incredulous.

"Of course not!" Lucille retorted, as though it was absurd to think she had done her research on Roberta before attacking the city. "You're telling me I had the fucking Bloodhound on her knees?!"

"Yes!" Wolf growled. "And you wonder why we're all so afraid of you. You had the scariest killers in the world by the balls a few months ago. That's not an everyday occurrence." Lucille raised an eyebrow as she processed that information. Obviously, she knew of Roberta's exploits when she was a F.A.R.C. Guerrilla, but when she came to Roanapur at the head of Goswrath, she must have assumed Roberta was just another petty criminal that opposed her. This revelation must have been quite a shock.

"You're not really afraid of me, are you?" she asked then, a little too much titillation in her voice at the suggestion that she frightened any of this city's residents.

"Well…not that much anymore," Wolf admitted. "But back after Revy shot you? Yeah, I got nervous just knowing you were in the same city." They both laughed at that. "You think I should go in?" He gestured to Usagi's room with his head. Lucille looked uncertain. It was a tricky situation. Right now, Usagi likely wanted to be left alone. The trauma she had been through was indescribable. Nothing anyone could say would help her now. She needed to get through this on her own, for the most part. When Rock came to see her just after it happened, she reacted almost aggressively, insisting that he leave. Since then, Wolf saw fit to leave her to her own devices, disturbing her only to bring her food which she then neglected to eat. It was disturbing to witness.

"I don't know," Lucille admitted, taking her rifle in her hands again. "I can't imagine she'll want to talk. Just give her time, you know? She'll come around eventually." That was disheartening. Not only did it worry Wolf that Usagi did not seem to be getting better, but it thoroughly bothered him that he was powerless to help her. Only time would tell if she would improve or worsen as a result of recent events. If her father still cared for her, he would probably be coming for her now, too. It seemed likely that his faith in Hunter would be shaken after an assassin the crime lord hired hurt Rahul's daughter in such a way. As strong a woman as Lucille was, it instantly became clear that she was distracted. When she learned of Ulysses's death, she hadn't said much. She hadn't been particularly close with him. Quite the contrary, her disdain for him was clear to anyone who had been present during her attack on the city. But it still bothered her, for whatever reason, that he was dead. Perhaps it was the brutal manner in which he was executed, or the fact that he was one of Roanapur's leaders. To think that Hunter could get to someone so powerful and influential made all of them feel vulnerable.

"What about you?" Wolf asked, grabbing a stool and sitting across from her. She frowned confusedly at him, though she surely knew what he meant. She was just exceptionally good at masking her emotions.

"What about me?"

"Come on," Wolf urged her gently. "After the other day, you've been in a shitty mood." She maintained her expression of feigned amusement before finally relenting. She averted her eyes as though to expose them would hurt her. Her hands fidgeted with the barrel of the rifle, too, in an attempt to distract herself from the distress she was obviously feeling.

"I don't know," she breathed. "I…fuck, I don't know. It was unexpected, is all. I just never imagined he would die, especially in such a brutal way." Her fingers traced the scar on her forehead. "He survived a shot to the head, for fuck's sake. He didn't deserve that." She fell silent for a moment. "The last time I saw him I told him I didn't care what he thought. What a thing to say. I…regret that. As much as I hated him, he didn't deserve it. I made my peace with what he did." Lucille had taken her brother's death hard. That was clear as day the moment they mentioned him to her. She hunted Ulysses for a long time, hell bent on killing him out of revenge or some misplaced sense of justice. And yet, even after everything, she still came to terms with the fact that he was not a bad man. Truth be told, he was one of the best things to happen in the city. The Formation were a far more benevolent organisation than the Triad or Hotel Moscow. Their mere presence made Roanapur safer and stronger. Now that their leader was dead, the city would suffer for a time. Then, it would inevitably return to how it had been before Ulysses ever came here. "I forgave him," Lucille went on. She looked solemn. She would not cry, despite the almost unnoticeable catch in her voice. "I forgave him for what he did. I just never told him. It kills me that he died without knowing that."

"Maybe he didn't need to," Wolf consoled her. "He always had hope for you. Even when you had us all on our knees that day, he tried to talk you down. He wanted to hope that everyone could come out of that alive. Even you." She forced a smile at that, though her mood seemingly wasn't lightened.

"I appreciate that, but it still doesn't make me feel better." She sighed as she placed her head in her hands. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. It's just been a crazy week." Wolf nodded. He was afraid of where recent events would lead. Roanapur knew the threat of outside aggressors all too well. Hunter was unlike previous foes who attempted to wipe out the ruling factions or start their own wars. While his organisational structure was far less professional and militant, he was no less dangerous. The Dead Men were widespread, well-trained and determined. Given the chance, they could burn everything in the city to the ground. Hotel Moscow and the Triad would do their job when the time came. They would not let the city fall to an unknown who fancied himself as some indomitable crime lord. But that did not change the fact that Hunter Woods was very capable of destroying them. He shared traits with them that few others did. That fact , coupled with his intelligence and manpower, would make him almost untouchable. Even now, none of them knew where he was. Wolf couldn't help but feel that he had squandered Roberta's skills. Had he ordered her to find Hunter, they could have ended this conflict before it truly began. His own selfishness and desire to hurt Black Bear clouded his judgement. It seemed like he was making a string of bad decisions lately.

"We're gonna get this fucker," he told Lucille. "He's not getting off that easy. I know Balalaika will probably want to take him out. That's just how she is. But if we get there first, I'll leave you alone with him. Nobody has to know." Lucille's eyes lit up at that.

"A tempting offer, actually," she admitted, her mood almost lightened at the prospect of killing Hunter herself. Not long ago, Lucille was a stoic, determined soldier who would stop at nothing to purge Roanapur of the crime that plagued it. Now, the woman that sat across from Wolf could not have been further from that description. She no longer cared about her former mission. That, or she forced herself to ignore it in an attempt to acclimatise to life in the city. Wolf wasn't sure how he felt about that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Make Your Move

Dutch wiped the grit out of his eyes as the elevator made its way to Chang's penthouse. It was frightfully early, not ten minutes after seven in the morning. Dutch's presence had been requested by Hotel Moscow. The city leaders were meeting for whatever reason. The fact that they wanted to speak with Lagoon's leader implied they had a job for him. Naturally, they would have a lot to discuss. This was the first time they were meeting since Ulysses's death. Even Balalaika, who instigated this conflict with Hunter in the first place under the assumption that the Dead Men would go down easy, had been taken aback by the news that Ulysses had been killed. He was a tough man and a smart criminal leader. There was no telling what would happen to the Formation now that he was gone. Most of its members were former Wolf Pack assassins and highly trained killers. It seemed a shame to see such a formidable organisation go to waste. What was truly terrifying was that Hunter had singlehandedly torn one of the city's most powerful factions apart in one swift stroke. While the formation were powerful and a force to be reckoned with, their welfare and survival depended on Ulysses. He was the one person who guided and trained them. His death spelled certain doom for them. Now, they were lost. It was a blow that none of them anticipated. The fact that Ulysses had been taken out so easily terrified even Dutch. He knew how tough and dangerous Ulysses was. Despite the fact that he served much the same purpose as Balalaika and Chang, sitting behind his people and pulling the strings from the shadows, he was still a formidable combatant and gunslinger. And yet, one man had snatched his soul right out. Hunter had been underestimated and Roanapur would pay the price. Dutch composed himself when he heard the _ding_ that told him he had reached the top floor. He emerged and entered the penthouse where Chang and Balalaika stood at this moment. They both turned to face him. Judging from their raised voices and sour expressions, they had been arguing. It was a time of stress and unease in the city right now.

"Dutch," Balalaika greeted him, catching her breath and tossing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "Glad you came. We have a lot to discuss, I'm sure you realised."

"I'm all ears," he told her, holding back a yawn as he ventured further into the room and fell in beside the two of them by the window. "How's everything going?"

"Well, I'm sure you can take a guess," Chang said dryly. "Things aren't exactly great right now, Dutch. Ulysses's death hit us hard. None of us were expecting Hunter to be so bold. If we knew he had balls as big as that, we would have been more careful. Did Revy tell you anything more?" Dutch thought back to the night Revy stumbled in the door with blood on her shirt. She was visibly angry, though there was distress on her face too. She had explained exactly what happened. The story sent chills down Dutch's spine.

"Apparently, he took her, Wolf and Rock to a warehouse on the coast," Lagoon's leader began. "He wanted to have them wipe out the place so he could take Rahul hostage. I don't know why, exactly. Sounds like he wanted to interrogate him. But they weren't expecting Hunter to be there, or his people to be so dangerous."

"He didn't take any of his own people with him?" Balalaika asked, making no attempt to hide the disgust in her voice. As a military leader, it likely irritated her that Ulysses was so foolish in his decision to leave his people behind. Had he brought some of the Formation with him, he might well be alive now.

"No," Dutch answered simply. "From what Revy told me, there were only a handful of Dead Men in the warehouse earlier that day. When Ulysses returned, Hunter had moved in with a sizeable group of his people, fully armed and equipped for war." Chang sighed and massaged his temples.

"I guess that confirms our suspicions," he breathed, looking at Balalaika. "You were right. He's coming after us next."

"That much was obvious, Chang," the Russian woman spat. She, too, sighed, an expression of contemplative woe on her face. Though neither of them wanted to admit it, they were frightened. When the Dead Men first came to Roanapur, it was assumed they were nothing more than an ambitious, brazenly reckless gang that presumed to give Hotel Moscow orders. But recent events proved that wrong. Though their people were not military like Balalaika's, their equipment, their precision, even their manner all implied otherwise. They had been well trained and ruthlessly conditioned into fierce killers. They had been underestimated, more than any enemy that Roanapur had faced before. Even Kane had been viewed as an incredibly dangerous threat to the city, a very capable conqueror who wanted to topple the ruling factions, a feat he almost succeeded in accomplishing. Balalaika knew how dangerous he would be. But Hunter was another story. He always seemed so juvenile, so easily defeated. Nothing about his operations or personality suggested he would pose any significant threat to Roanapur's leaders. Until he killed Ulysses, that is. Balalaika and Chang could not afford any more slip ups. One more mistake would leave one or both of them dead. Nobody could bear that. "We didn't call you here just to discuss the repercussions of Ulysses's death, Dutch. I may have a job for some of your people very soon. We need to take the fight to these Dead Men. That may involve seeking…outside help." Balalaika was an independent woman, heavily reliant on her own forces and content to do so. The prospect of turning to someone not of Hotel Moscow for help made her sick. If it came to that, she must have been truly desperate. That, or she actually had a plan in place.

"I still think it's a foolish idea," Chang said. Clearly, that was what they were arguing about before Dutch arrived. "We can handle this situation on our own. Turning to this 'contact' of yours will only complicate the situation. How do you know we can even trust him?"

"Who is this guy?" Dutch asked, too tired to deal with the petty squabbles of the city's leaders.

"An old associate of Hunter," Balalaika explained. "A man by the name of Augustus Kells. From what I hear, he left the Dead Men about five months ago."

"I don't imagine Hunter took that well," Dutch suspected. Balalaika smirked.

"Of course he didn't. Our intel tells us he's been hunted since then in an attempt to have him killed. If I'm correct, he now resides in New York. Quite the trip, but a worthwhile one if Mister Kells proves useful." Considering Augustus's former allegiances and the current predicament Roanapur found itself in, Chang's trepidation was understandable. But in the current situation, they could not afford to be picky. If there was even the slightest chance this man would consider assisting them in taking down his old boss, they had to take it. He would no doubt have more information and insight into the Dead Men than anyone else. If he was willing to share, he would prove himself a formidable ally.

"Sounds like we could use him on our side," Dutch concurred as Balalaika shot a triumphant glance in Chang's direction. The Triad's leader grunted derisively.

"Look, I'm not saying we rule out the idea entirely," he began in an attempt to make reparations. "But let's be cautious. We don't know if he'll be completely trustworthy. What if Hunter gets to him, or he gets the cold shoulder and leaves us hanging?"

"Then we deal with it then," Balalaika told him. "I assure you, we can handle one greasy old man if he thinks to try anything."

"Wasn't long ago we were saying that about Hunter," Chang shot at her before heading over to the other side of the room and getting a drink. Balalaika turned to face the window, looking down at the city below. Considering how early it was, its residents were probably not even awake yet. It was strange to witness the entire of Roanapur so dead silent. Hunter was down there somewhere. They needed to find him. Dutch agreed with Balalaika. If their efforts turned up nothing soon, they would have no choice but to seek help elsewhere.

"The Formation are lost without their leader," Balalaika spoke up then, her voice just low enough so that Chang would not hear. "They stumble about in the darkness with no objective, no real reason to even continue on. It's atrocious to witness. A number of them have contacted me in an attempt to acclimatise into Hotel Moscow. What an amusing prospect."

"Maybe they should be talking to Chang," Dutch suggested. "After Major Landis's people went under his command, I'm assuming he wouldn't be opposed to the idea."

"Oh, give it time," Balalaika replied smugly. "They'll try their hand at the Triad soon enough. To tell you the truth, Chang could probably use the extra manpower." That dig at the Triad was so savage Dutch almost recoiled. This possible job interested him. Assuming he accepted, he wouldn't be going to New York himself for this. That would be left to Rock and Revy. One of them on their own would spell chaos, but together, they would convince Augustus to accompany them back to Roanapur. They were stronger as a team, despite their differences and dysfunctionalities.

"Revy's following a lead right now," Dutch spoke up, partially to fill the silence while they waited for Chang to re-join them. "Guy called Max Kepler. Friend of yours, Chang?" The Triad's leader topped up his drink then and made his way back over.

"You could say that," he joked. "Guy's been in Roanapur for about a month now. Not sure what he was doing exactly, but he ended up interfering with my operations. I tried to have him picked up at the strip club when the Wolf told me he'd be there, but he was a no-show. Probably had the place bugged."

"Who is he?"

"A terrorist," Chang explained. "Used to be a sniper in the IRA in Ireland. That was five years ago. After that, he found Hunter. The two of them have been best pals ever since. If my information is trustworthy, he's a high ranking member of the Dead Men."

"So what was he doing here a month ago?" Considering Usagi hadn't even come here until long after that, it was odd that one of the Dead Men had been in the city at the time. It was possible he had been scouting out the area for the Dead Men in the event that Hunter sought to extend his organisation further into Asia, but the crime lord apparently had no knowledge of the city until he came here in pursuit of Usagi.

"Hell if I know," Chang admitted, sipping his drink. "From what I hear, he's been laying pretty low, working occasionally as a mercenary to earn some extra cash. It's possible he was just posted here during down time between missions for the Dead Men. Rahul's been here before. I imagine he handles the nitty gritty stuff. On the off chance he was actually here on behalf of Hunter, we have a more serious problem."

"Tell me about it," Dutch groaned. It was bad enough that the Dead Men were here now, but if one of their agents were in the city a month ago, it raised some serious questions. That may explain why Hunter was able to avoid detection so easily. Kepler may well have been doing up plans of the city in the event of negotiations turning sour. What was more, any information he had that might prove useful would be gone forever as soon as Revy got her hands on Kepler. She never was much for taking hostages, even if doing so would be more beneficial than simply killing her enemies. Nevertheless, they all had work to do., Hunter was still out there. He needed to be stopped or his people would burn Roanapur to the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Like Lambs To Slaughter

"Dutch wants us to keep him posted," Rock told Revy, stuffing his phone into his pocket and turning a sharp corner. The street he found himself on looked almost abandoned, but Max had been here. They were close behind him now. Most of the night had been spent cutting down his Dead Men and attempting to follow his trail. Whether Revy wanted a shot at killing him or she just wanted to stay out killing was best left to interpretation. "Miss Balalaika wants to see him, too. Sounds like she has a job for us."

"Oh yeah?" Revy grumbled, disinterested as she stuck one of her Cutlasses out the window and took out three Dead Men. Shenhua sent her kukri slicing through two more from the back seat. "Until I get this fucker, she can stuff her job." They had no reason in particular to pursue Max Kepler. He was a random associate of Hunter, one who up until last night had never encountered any of them. For that reason, Rock found it odd that Revy wanted him so badly. If it was anyone else ordering him to maintain pursuit, he would assume they sought information or a way to bring Hunter down. But Revy had no interest in talking or taking hostages. When she set her mind on following an enemy, it was to kill them. Max would be put in the ground by her Cutlasses today or he would escape. Shenhua, too, had been hunting the Dead Men last night with her companions. They decided to accompany Lagoon Company either to even the score with Kepler for getting a cheap shot at the Taiwanese assassin or to try their hand at taking him out in an attempt to weaken Hunter's operations. Regardless, Rock had once more been dragged into a dangerous situation he could offer absolutely no help with. Kepler's car was up ahead, making no attempt to avoid hitting the lampposts and parked cars. Rock only just managed to avoid slamming into the back of it when it slowed down without warning. Revy took a shot, smashing the window to pieces. She did not think she would hit him. It was simply an attempt to scare him. Shenhua plunged one of her blades into the door then as he attempted to drive off. "What's the rush, dipshit?!" Revy screamed at him as he slammed down on the accelerator.

"I got places to be, sweetheart," he spat back at her, letting off a shot of his own that missed Rock by inches, tearing through the door beside him instead. "Sorry to disappoint yous." He kicked the blade from his car door before taking off in the other direction.

"After him, Rock!" Revy ordered, her sharp voice cutting through the air with the abrasiveness of an angle grinder. The Japanese man immediately obeyed, like he had been doing for hours. He was tired now, though the constant threat of being shot kept him on his toes. During their pursuit of Max, jeeps would periodically appear, full of Dead Men. The gangsters would attempt to take them out only to be annihilated by Revy and Shenhua. It was a process Rock almost had memorised by now. As Kepler's car turned into an old steelyard, two more jeeps of soldiers showed up to block Rock's entry. He instead pulled over across the street. The five of them immediately exited the car and took cover from the imminent onslaught and shower of lead.

"Couldn't have picked a better spot, huh, Rock?" Revy scolded, scowling at him. She was overly critical of him today, and that was saying something. Then again, recent events seemed to have her particularly on edge. Rock shrugged it off rather than getting into a dispute here on the side of the street while their enemies fired relentlessly at them. Revy popped up out of cover for a split second to get a look at the Dead Men before their gunfire forced her back down. Apart from Kepler, they all wore black military fatigues, bulletproof vests and balaclavas, just like the men that disarmed them before Ulysses was killed. Seeing as the Dead Men were essentially going to war now, it made sense that they were kitted out for it. They made intimidating enemies, far better equipped than regular gangsters would be. Again, that was a sign of their prowess, of how much they had been underestimated. "Shit! How the fuck are we gonna get out of this?"

"This your idea, yes?" Shenhua reminded Revy. "We not ask you to follow."

"Shove it, Chinglish!"

"Oh she testy! Maybe I skin your ass instead, then we do this without you."

"Stop arguing!" Rock ordered them. "They're shooting at us right now! Pretty soon, those bullets are going to make their way through to us. The car isn't going to hold out forever!" Revy groaned and rolled her eyes, but her expression was submissive.

"I hate to say it, but he's right," she admitted. "Think you three can clear a path to Max if I distract his goons?" Shenhua turned to Lotton and Sawyer, both of whom nodded. Though none of them had ever seen Lotton actually kill someone, his exaggerated, dramatic rambling would serve as a useful secondary distraction while Shenhua and Sawyer tore the Dead Men apart. With unnatural speed and without warning, Revy leapt from behind the car and began shooting at the Dead Men. For the following ten seconds, their undivided attention was on her, just like she wanted. It was a miracle they did not hit her as she sped around the road, avoiding their bullets and firing aimlessly at them. As soon as they were sure the Dead Men were distracted, the other three emerged and began their assault. Shenhua was the first to attack, pinning one of the warriors to the wall of the steelyard and decapitating him. Lotton fired his Mausers, but none of his shots hit their targets. It was amusing to watch the Dead Men panic, all the same, seeing as they were now being taken on from both sides. It wouldn't be long now until Kepler was left exposed. Sawyer seized her opportunity as soon as she spotted the remaining five Dead Men looking around them frantically, not sure how to proceed. The roar of her chainsaw terrified them so much it was incredible they didn't piss their pants. All Revy saw after that was a cloud of blood as Sawyer mercilessly began cutting them down. They could almost hear Max's voice from further in when the fighting stopped. Two of the Dead Men were still alive, trying foolishly to crawl from the area with pieces of them all over the place after Sawyer's assault.

"I know you're in there, fuckhead," Kepler's voice came from the steelyard. Revy took out the two survivors with two quick shots before turning her attention towards the source of the voice. They could not see Max due to the fact that he was already in the main terrace of the steelyard, but his voice carried. "No point in hiding anymore. The bossman is pissed right the fuck off because of what you did. Come out and face it like a man." Revy locked eyes with Rock for a moment as they both came to the same conclusion. From the sounds of things, Kepler had come here to exact justice on an enemy of the Dead Men, someone who did them wrong. Nobody fit that description better than the Black Bear. The assassin hadn't been seen since his presence in the city was made known. Though he was originally hired to assassinate Ulysses, that duty fell to Hunter when the assassin's vile actions stripped him of his status as the primary contract killer of the Dead Men and branded him an enemy of almost everyone else in Roanapur. His actions resonated particularly strongly with Revy. If he was here, no force on Heaven or Earth could stop her from killing him. She darted into the steelyard immediately and made her way through the open doorway that lead to the terrace. Max stood there, rifle in hand, facing the closed double doors that lead inside the abandoned factory. This was where Bear was hiding. Kepler immediately turned around and trained his rifle on Revy, a smirk on his face. The others hurried onto the terrace behind her.

"What the hurry?" Shenhua asked, oblivious to the true motivations behind Revy's haste. "Trying to claim profit for yourself, hm?"

"Be careful, Revy," Rock urged her, his eyes on Kepler the entire time. Though he was outgunned and outmanned, he was still a formidable man, one who would not hesitate to let off every last shot from his rifle if he spotted any sudden movements.

"Give it up, fuckwad!" Revy roared at him, her Cutlasses pointed squarely at his head. "You got four of us ready to tear you to shreds."

"Not gonna happen, baby," he mocked, his voice quieter now. "I assume you've figured it out by now. Can't let you get to the Bear first. I have explicit orders from the bossman to put a bullet in this prick's face." The tension was palpable as the two killers eyed one another angrily. This was tricky. No matter what any of them did, Kepler would probably still manage to shoot one of them. That shot could well be fatal. For that reason alone, none of them even attempted to take him out. He rapped on the door behind him with his knuckles. "Come on, Bear, this is only gonna end one way. Even if you don't do what I say, there's three very angry ladies ready to come in and tear ya a new asshole, mate." He raised his eyebrows and smirked as if he had just made some incredibly funny joke. Revy just scoffed in disgust. It was almost amusing that he deigned to mention Lotton, likely as a result of the man's apparent poor combat skills. As someone who had presumably spent many years perfecting the art of killing, Max probably recognised that the pale, quiet man was not proficient at the craft at all.

"Smart move, not showing up at the strip club," Rock blurted out suddenly. Seeing as how they were essentially at a standstill until Black Bear showed himself, they might as well probe Kepler for information. It was no secret that Wolf had been hired by the Triad to find out when the Dead Men lieutenant would return to the strip club. The fact that he hadn't implied he either knew he would be intercepted or something else came up. "You must have known Chang would be there to grab you." Kepler narrowed his eyes for a moment before smirking once more. His mannerisms reminded them of Hunter, a fact that sent chills through Rock's body.

"Happy coincidence, that," Max told them. "Had business to see to, you know? Glad it worked out so the Chinese bastard didn't lay his dirty hands on me."

"But then you must have been doing something in the city," Rock ventured, trying to lull Max into letting something slip, though the Irish man didn't seem bothered about hiding his motives. "After all, your boss didn't show up until a few days after your appointment at the strip club. How did that happen?"

"You're a nosy little cunt, aren't ya?" Kepler growled. His rifle remained trained on Revy the entire time, and his eyes went to her every few seconds to make sure she wouldn't try anything. Considering he was giving them information they clearly wanted, it seemed like he was safe enough for the moment. "Thought that might strike ye as odd, alright. Well, yous can rest your little hearts. I wasn't here for a fucking takeover of the city. Was here working for Rahul. Y'all know about him, yeah? Wanted me to scout Hotel Moscow. They're nasty fuckers. With footholds all over the shop. Seeing as how the Bossman was looking into extending his reach, it made sense to keep an eye on others who succeeded at it already." That made a bit more sense and put Rock at ease. Before, he was concerned Kepler had been in the city to prepare for an assault, meaning Hunter was far smarter and more capable than they thought. If that was the case, this conflict had been planned from the beginning. But to know that it was mere coincidence calmed him. Still, it was troubling to think that the Dead Men sought to expand, much like Hotel Moscow. The Russian mafia had ties as far as America. Their Japanese foothold had been established during Rock's time in Tokyo. If the Dead Men extended their operations into other countries, they would become far fiercer than they already were, a thought that was both troubling and terrifying. But those thoughts were pushed from Rock's mind at the sound of the factory's double doors creaking open. "Ah, the Bear finally decided to join us, did he?" Kepler proclaimed, turning to peer into the darkness. "Then come on out, ya sick old fuck. Let's see what you're made of." Black Bear had been on all of their minds since what he did came to light. The anticipation of seeing his face for the first time almost made Rock sick. He thought about telling Revy to lower her guns, now pointed at the entrance to the factory, ready to fire. A mixture of disappointment and shock spread through them all as they witnessed the woman leap from the shadows and pin Kepler to the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Strike Down Upon Any And All Unrighteousness

The description of Black Bear was enough to lead Roberta to him. It had taken her a day, less even, to pin down his location. The abandoned old metalwork factory hadn't been used in a long time by the looks of things. Its halls were dark and dilapidated, dust and cobwebs caking the cold concrete. Even now, Roberta's skills were unmatched. She took the Dragunov from around her shoulder with one hand and held it steadily as she skulked through the dark corridors of this place. So far, there had been no sign of the assassin. But he was here, of that the Bloodhound was certain. His foul stench carried through the factory, the scent of death and depravity. She knew it all too well. The whole situation brought back memories of her twisted past, flickers of the things she had done in the name of revolution. She still remembered the faces and cries of the men she killed, the women she slaughtered, the children…Those were dark times, though her experiences moulded her into the woman she was today. For that, she was grateful. Out of all of Roanapur's killers and opportunists, Roberta was possibly the most humane and kind-hearted. It was a quality that would spell doom for anyone else but one that kept the good maid alive. She clambered up the first flight of stairs noisily, silently cursing herself once she reached the next floor. If Black Bear was as formidable and well-trained as Wolf claimed, he would be on high alert now. Even the slightest noise would alert him to danger. Roberta stopped suddenly as she listened for any sound of commotion, shutting her eye and focusing on honing in on the Bear's movements. It was possible he was further up. Scanning the current floor of the factory momentarily, Roberta moved up the second flight of stairs, content that he wasn't lower down. Upon emerging, she spotted a faint light in the room opposite. The heavy steel door was ajar slightly. That was clever, an attempt to lure her over there so he could come out and finish her off. She did not fall for it. Aware of the blind spot she was permanently afflicted with, she made a point of looking around her fully to make sure he was not hidden in one of the alcoves of the walls. Gripping the Dragunov tightly, she sidestepped to the left and continued along the corridor. If Bear was smart, which he seemed to be, he would have hidden close to the ajar door, around the corner. Roberta hoped to flank him and take him by surprise, as he seemingly hoped to do to her. She would not fall for his trap so easily. If he thought this was enough to best her, he had no idea who he was dealing with. But he would. Roberta came to a halt at the end of the corridor and peered around the corner to the right. No sign. Again, she continued on, hoping he would be close.

"I could smell you when you walked in here," he called to her from up ahead, his voice guttural and scratchy. It sounded like he was on the move. He was more than likely circling the floor along with Roberta so that she would never catch up to him. If he refused to come out and fight, they could be here all day. "You fucking reek of blood and shit. Who was it that sent you? If it was Hunter, you'd have talked by now."

"I was not sent by your Dead Men," Roberta told him, pointing the sniper rifle forward as she walked in case he decided to double back and jump out at her.

"Then you ought to turn that pretty little ass around and walk out of here," he called as he tried and failed to cock his weapon quietly. Roberta deduced immediately that it was an assault rifle he held. "There ain't nothing for you here, girl. I'm not coming out of here in a million years."

"Is that so?" Roberta asked, more to herself. She turned another corner swiftly and pointed her weapon forward, but Bear was not in sight. As she was making her way around the floor, so was he, keeping her at bay by just enough so he could keep talking. This was tricky, but doable.

"Yeah, it is. So the scary boss dude in black didn't send you after me. Who was it, one of this city's leaders? The Ruskies, huh? Or the Chinks?"

"This would be easier on both of us if you came out and faced me," Roberta told him, a subtle edge to her voice. It was a thinly veiled threat, but one that warned against prolonging this charade. If he was content to keep his distance, he would succeed in doing so for only a short time before she would come for him with unbridled aggression. Judging from the situation along with Roberta's waning patience, the Black Bear had about five minutes of freedom left.

"You ain't big on talking, then," Bear replied, his wavering voice once again suggesting he was still on the move. "You want to protect your employer, I get it. Tell me who you are, then. At least give me that." She smirked at that. If he truly knew who she was, he would likely be rendered catatonic out of fear. Assuming he had heard of her before, which was almost a given, to learn that it was her that had been sent for him would immediately make him regret avoiding her. Of course, she was not here to kill him. But he did not need to know that.

"I am a simple maid," she told him, almost enjoying the back and forth they were having. She could practically smell the fear welling up inside him at the oncoming realisation that she was toying with him, that she was actually far more dangerous than he realised. "In service to the Lovelace family, one of the great thirteen families of South America." She heard him explode with laughter as she turned another corner, again to no avail, though she thought she did spot his leg for just a moment as he stumbled in behind cover up ahead. "Does that amuse you?"

"You're a long way from home, maid," he told her with a sickening tone of condescension in his voice. It almost made Roberta glad that he was so complacent now, sure that she posed no threat to him. Had she been hired to kill him, he would likely be dead already. "But you can dust the shelves in my office if you really want to." That was followed by more laughter. It was baffling how oblivious he was to the danger he was in.

"I'm glad I could entertain you," Roberta told him as she slung the Dragunov over her shoulder and reached to her belt for a grenade. If she pulled this off, he would be forced to run towards her and she would have him. But she couldn't toss the frag just yet. If her memory was correct, he was currently mere feet from the stairs to the floor below them. If she threw the grenade now, he would have a perfect escape. No, she would wait and continue this back and forth until he was backed into a corner, no obvious escape routes near him, before pouncing.

"Hell, that's the funniest thing I've heard all year," he told her, still laughing. "And they-whoever they are- sent you to take me out." His footsteps started tom slow down, then, as he neared the far end of the corridor he was in. "What a stupid mistake to make. You might want to tell your employer to keep looking when he's on the market for assassins." He had stopped moving entirely, now, made far too confident by the knowledge that Roberta was a maid. She needed to act now if she was going to put her plan into action. By now, the flight of stairs was a few feet up ahead, about halfway between her and Bear. If she threw the frag, he would have nowhere to go but further around the floor. She ripped the pin from the grenade with her pinkie as she held it between her thighs, grabbing it immediately and tossing it ahead. It bounced off the wall and made its way towards the dark assassin. His screams of panic were audible as he scrambled in the other direction. Roberta seized her chance. Wasting no time, she turned around and legged it around the corner towards him. The second she reached the next corner, she halted and took the Dragunov in her hand. The frag exploded with a thunderous crash as steel hit steel and Bear was thrown towards his undoing. With the butt of the Dragunov, Roberta smashed the assassin in the face and knocked him to the ground. His hands instantly went to the source of the pain as blood streamed down his face from his now broken nose. His eyes were watering, too, and the black beanie he had been wearing had flown off of his head entirely. Roberta reached down and with one arm of steel, grabbed the front of his tank top and dragged him into the air until his feet were off the ground. The military paint that had been on his face was now steaked and messy. He finally lowered his hands and looked at her through the blood and tears. And there he was. Roberta couldn't suppress the disgust and anger she felt as she looked upon his face, the horrible, twisted visage of the depraved assassin they had been hunting. It was tempting to beat him further until he was unrecognisable, but Wolf wanted him alive. Roberta was sure Bear would meet his end soon anyway. She was patient. She could wait to watch him die. "You don't look like a maid to me," he blubbered, one of his teeth clearly loosened from the impact of the rifle. He dislodged it with his tongue and spat it at Roberta. "Who the fuck are you?"

"It's over, Black Bear," she told him, making a point of putting disdainful emphasis on his name as she lowered him to his knees.

"Go fuck yourself," he spat at her. She grinned at him as she took the rifle in her hand and slapped it across the side of his head, knocking him out. It was easy enough to pick him up and put him over her shoulder, despite his size. All that remained now was to return him to Wolf. The assassin would be glad to finally have Bear brought to him, though Usagi would understandably be horrified to see the man again. That could pose a problem. Perhaps the assassin's apartment wouldn't be the best spot to bring Bear. Roberta would worry about that later. For now, she just needed to get out of here. As she made her way downstairs and searched around for the main door, she thought she heard voices from outside. In Roanapur, gunfire was a common occurrence. Firefights happened every day and people died hourly in the streets. For that reason alone, she hadn't taken notice of the gunshots earlier. But now, there was definitely a voice outside, and it was getting louder as she approached the double doors.

"…only gonna end one way," the voice said, muffle though it was. "Even if you don't do what I say, there's three very angry ladies ready to come in and tear ya a new asshole, mate." This was followed by another voice, one Roberta thought she recognised. Regardless, she was sure this stranger had been sent by the Dead Men. For that reason alone, he needed to be disposed of. Hunter wanted Black Bear dead as much as anyone else. Roberta had been sent to make sure they didn't get there first. She was alone in here, about to face off against possibly multiple enemies. That put her at a disadvantage. But if the other voice belonged to who she thought it did, he would be accompanied by a particularly ferocious killer, one who, if she was so inclined, would fire at any of the stranger's allies as soon as Roberta went for him. She dropped Bear down and laid him up against the wall, laying her rifle down across from him. With the strap, she tied the assassin's hands together and connected them to the pipes behind him. If he awoke, it would sicken him that he would not be able to reach the weapon. That done, she grabbed the handle of the doors and pulled them open with a creak. The light from outside was piercing but the source of the voice immediately caught Roberta's gaze. "Ah, the Bear finally decided to join us, did he? Then come on out, ya sick old fuck. Let's see what you're made of." Roberta wasted no time. She instinctively launched herself from the darkness and pinned the suddenly panicked man to the ground with her legs, beginning to wail on him with her fist. She hadn't even gotten a good look at who the others were, but that plum-coloured hair caught her eye. It was Revy, alright. Roberta just hoped the gunslinger would have the restraint not too shoot her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Two Sides

It was early when Wolf awoke this morning. That was uncharacteristic of him. Usually, he would sleep in until midday, or later. But recent events had everyone on high alert. Not only did the threat of the Dead Men force Wolf to be aware at all times, but Usagi's situation hadn't improved. She still refused to come out of her room, turning away food and ignoring attempts to begin a conversation. It ate Wolf up to see, but there was nothing he could do.

He pulled on his jeans and went into the bathroom, splashing water on his face to help wake him up. This business with Hunter had him in a constant state of weariness. He looked at himself in the mirror as the cold water trickled down his face. The scars and wounds that marked his torso were ugly, though not as prominent as they had once been. Three faint bullet wounds could be seen where Kane shot him, along with the nasty scar on his left shoulder from the mercenary's machete. It was a wonder he wasn't dead. His currently visible wounds along with those that had long ago healed up together riddled his torso. Every day, he counted his blessings that he was still alive.

Though he had once been like so many others here in this city, a dead man walking content to think that way, he had undergone a drastic and uncomfortable change during the last year. It was something he hated about himself but a trait that would stick with him for a while. His humanity was something he thought long ago lost, buried with the ashes of his old life. The first sign of his change was the first time he had gone to the Lovelaces in Venezuela. Back then, he had been unnaturally humane and considerate of the family and their plight, something he shrugged off at the time. But the light continued to sweep in over him. After Lucille came to Roanapur, he made attempts to save her, truly believing that nobody had to die. That was a belief that had no place in this city. The old Wolf certainly had no time for it. After the threat of Godswrath had been quelled, the assassin had left the city entirely in an attempt to rid himself of this inherent weakness that seemed intent on clawing its way back into his soul after all these years. Even now, he was visibly concerned about Usagi's welfare. His refusal of her father's offer proved that much. As content as he was to watch over the girl, he wanted nothing more to return to how he had been those months ago, callous and ruthless, without a care in the world for anyone else's problems. In his mind, that was the only way he could be strong. Otherwise, his entire lifestyle, the city he basically lived in now, all of it would eat him up until nothing was left.

There was a sharp knock on his door just as he was losing himself in his thoughts. It was almost refreshing to be taken out of that trance he was in. Too long like that would have driven him mad. He wiped the water from his face with a towel and headed out to the door, peering outside. It was Lucille. He let her in, his mood considerably improved by her presence. Though her own moral darkness bothered him somewhat, she was still one of the more merciful and caring of Roanapur's killers.

"How's the girl doing?" she asked, taking a seat. Strangely, she had taken a personal interest in Usagi after what happened.

"The same," Wolf answered, downtrodden as he took a seat across from her. "The very same. Hasn't shown her face or anything. Only reason I even know she's alive is because I hear her fucking cry at night." Lucille's face contorted in sadness at that.

"Poor girl," she muttered.

"What the fuck do I even do? I feel so useless just sitting out here."

"Just give her time, Wolf," Lucille implored him. She insisted that he could not rush this, that Usagi needed to deal with this herself. But it still felt like they were making no progress with her.

"I suppose you're right," he conceded before rising and going to the window. The street outside was quiet, like it had been since Rahul had come here to take his daughter back. That scared Wolf. The fact that the Dead Men knew where Usagi was but hadn't come for her was troubling. Either Hunter no longer cared about her and only wanted to finish out this war with the city's ruling factions, or he fully intended to come for her in full force when the time was right. If it was the latter, Wolf would need to be ready for an all-out assault. It made him feel safer when Lucille was around.

"I've never seen those before," Lucille said then, gesturing to Wolf's back. He presumed she was referring to his tattoos.

"Seen me naked often, have you?" he joked. She shot him a look of judgement and raised an eyebrow.

"Very funny. They're nice, though. The wolf one, especially. Some memento of your time under Sif?"

"Kind of," Wolf admitted, turning to face the room. "Like my name, you know? I took it on to change what it meant. Instead of being Sif's source of power over me, I could make it my own." Lucille nodded, an impressed expression on her face. She furrowed her brow, then.

"I'm suddenly very aware that I don't know your real name," she told him. He laughed at that. 'The Wolf' was a moniker he had been using for years. Ever since Sif betrayed him and he left Wolf Pack for good, it was the only name he used with people that did not know him personally. These days, nobody he interacted with knew his real name. It was, again, a source of weakness to the assassin, to know that there were people who had that information. It was something so trivial to most that meant a great deal to him.

"Don't expect that to change anytime soon," he told her with a roguish smile. His hand subconsciously went to the other tattoos on his back, then. Just below the wolf was a small black skull with two swords beneath it, two cutlasses.

"Revy?" Lucille asked when she noticed. The symbol Wolf's hand traced was the same one on the handle of Revy's guns. During the struggles the city had faced since the assassin had come here, he had grown close to Lagoon Company. Revy, in particular, shared a strange bond with him he did not entirely understand, one that brought her out into the countryside when he went missing.

"I got it a month after she shot you," he explained. "She saved my life once or twice now, you know? And she's probably one of only a handful of people that have come close to killing me. I thought those two things deserved a tattoo." Truthfully, Revy had never actually attempted to kill Wolf, though her Cutlasses had been trained on him multiple times. Had she pulled the trigger on any of those occasions, he would probably be dead.

"And that third one?" Lucille asked, as though talking about it would make things awkward. She seemed to enjoy that prospect a bit too much as a smile spread across her pale face. Below the skull and cutlasses, on the small of his back, was a crucifix at the end of a chain, which was wrapped around a live bullet. Clearly, Lucille had an idea what it was in reference to. Otherwise, the shit-eating grin on her face was completely unnecessary.

"The Bloodhound, yes," Wolf told her. "You can wipe the grin off your face. If it wasn't for her, I'd genuinely be dead now." The assassin pointed to the bullet marks on his torso. "See these? Kane's handiwork. If it wasn't for Roberta, there'd be another one in my head." Lucille raised an eyebrow again. "I'm sentimental, alright?"

"I get that, no need to get defensive," she assured him. "I've got a Union Jack on my arse."

"You're shitting me," Wolf gasped, though seeing as she was in the S.A.S. it seemed plausible.

"Yes, I am," Lucille let up. "I've thought about it, though." She rose, then, and started for the door. "I must be off. I'll probably stop by again later."

"Got other things to do, have you?" Wolf asked sarcastically.

"Just a patrol of Roanapur," she told him. "I've been going around the last two days picking off Dead Men."

"Watch out for Hotel Moscow," Wolf warned her. It was miraculous how Balalaika still believed Lucille was dead. Considering how resourceful and intelligent the woman was, it seemed too perfect. She might have been simply ignoring the problem, choosing to let Lucille live and everyone else believe she had no knowledge of her former enemy's survival. But Balalaika was a vengeful, carnal woman. If she knew Lucille was alive, she would stop at nothing to kill her. "If they spot you, there'll be hell to pay."

"Not my first time remaining undetected," she assured him with a smirk before leaving the apartment. Wolf laughed silently to himself before turning and starting towards his bedroom. He almost didn't notice Usagi standing there, her hands clasped together at her waist. He came to a sudden halt as he let it sink in that she had come out of her room. She was far paler than normal, her big, brown eyes red and moist from the tears. That pained Wolf a bit to see.

"Usagi!" he blurted out without thinking. "I…shite, I didn't think I'd being you today. How are you?" What a stupid question. He knew how she was. He closed his eyes and cursed inwardly at how idiotic that had been. The girl shifted her weight awkwardly and offered a false smile so as to appear alright when she clearly wasn't.

"Better," she told him. He believed that. If she was still suffering on the same level as before, she would not have come out to see him. Perhaps it was Lucille's voice that brought her out. That thought made Wolf's heart sink a little. "I, um…I'm glad you've been patient."

"Of course," Wolf told her gently. She fidgeted with the golden crucifix around her neck for a moment as she glanced around the room.

"So, tell me, what's happening with the Dead Men? Have they started their war?"

"More or less," Wolf told her. "Hunter killed one of the city's leaders. Now, it's just a matter of finding him. After that, we can put an end to this madness."

"And…my father?" In times such as this, when people had to endure such horror that they should never be subjected to, parents were some of the most important people to turn to. The fact that Usagi's was working on the side of Roanapur's enemy made consulting him very difficult. Wolf scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well…as far as I know, he's still with the Dead Men." Usagi looked upset at that. Apparently, she had hoped that once Rahul learned what happened to his daughter, he would leave Hunter's side in an attempt to be with her. Knowing the dark, twisted, manipulative nature of Hunter, it was entirely possible he hadn't even told Rahul what Black Bear did. Wolf took a step forward, apprehensive about how Usagi would respond. She seemed startled for a moment before relaxing. "Don't think about it, Usagi. The Dead Men are just Hunter's goons, doing his dirty work. They'll go down easy. I know just from meeting your father that he'll split off as soon as he can. Once he's sure he can leave without Hunter following him, you'll see him." That seemed to lighten her spirits. Wolf heard his phone go off, then. "Gimme a sec." He reached into his pocket and answered the cell. "What's happening?"

"Wolf! You need to get down here now!" The voice was Rock's, and it was panicked.

"Slow down, man," the assassin shouted into the phone. "The fuck is going on?"

" _It's fucking nuts, Wolfy,"_ he heard Revy scream, her voice significantly quieter than Rock's.

"The steelyard," Rock said. "I don't even know where to begin…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: No Gods, No Masters

Wolf's stolen white sedan pulled up behind Lagoon Company's car, right across from the steelyard. There were bodies in the street already, as well as four empty jeeps that presumably belonged to the Dead Men. The assassin could hear gunfire already. He turned to his left then and took his Desert Eagle from its holster. Even after years of using it, it still had a hell of a kick when shot. But he had no other guns right now and Rock sounded urgent on the phone.

"I want you to take this," he said to Usagi. "As soon as I leave, get down on the floor and point it at the window. Any of those fuckers come near the car, you fire."

"What?! I-but, I-"

"Trust me on this," Wolf told her firmly. "Both hands on the grip, finger off the trigger unless you're ready to shoot. It'll hurt your hands but if you hold it steady, you'll hit your target." The girl looked less than enthusiastic about this idea. Assuming she had never fired a gun before, the first time would be disastrous. Granted, Wolf hoped she wouldn't actually have to fire it, he just wanted her to take it as a precaution. "I'll be right back." He left the car without hesitation, unsheathing his blade and holding it firmly in his right hand.

As he approached the steelyard, he caught glimpses of what was happening on the main terrace. Bullets, sparks and flailing bodies were everywhere as several Dead Men appeared to be firing at something to the left. There must have been a significant amount of them, otherwise the combined strength of Revy, Shenhua and Sawyer would have ensured their victory already. Wolf couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt when Rock told him Roberta was in the middle of a fight with this Max Kepler. He was the one who sent her after the Bear. That naturally made him feel responsible for her current predicament. He just hoped she came out of this alright.

He rushed into the terrace then, spotting the others taking cover behind a stack of steel pallets. There was a firing squad of about ten Dead Men pinning them down. Three were dead. Wolf seized his opportunity, launching himself at the first person he saw. His blade bit into the man's flesh with the speed and brutality of a rabid dog, cutting the unsuspecting gangster open and leaving his broken body in a pile on the ground. His comrades did not notice until a second of them was gutted consecutively. Their attention now on the Wolf, Revy popped up from behind cover and finished off a further three of them. The rest were dispatched by Shenhua.

"Couldn't have gotten here sooner?!" Rock asked, equal anger and distress in his voice, though he did seem genuinely grateful.

"Hey, just be glad I got here when I did," Wolf shot back at him. "You're lucky I was even awake. This is way too fucking early for me." With the Dead Men all taken out, their attention naturally went to Roberta and Max beating each other over by the ajar doors of the old factory. Wolf's hand twitched as his restless fingers tensed on the handle of his blade, eager to tear Max apart. Revy, too, came forward with her Cutlasses at the ready. Despite the animosity between her and Roberta, it seemed she still wanted a go at the lieutenant of the Dead Men. Regardless, they restrained themselves. Not only was the fight too frantic and erratic to get in a clear attack without risk of hitting Roberta, but the Bloodhound would no doubt tell them to stay out of it, adamant that she could do the job herself.

Despite her incapacitations, she was managing surprisingly well. The stocky Max was currently pinned down by her legs as she mercilessly punched at his already heavily beaten face. That would not last long, judging by Kepler's shaking arms. He would break free from her restraint soon. Blood stained the concrete around the two of them as they both struggled, their breaths heavy and their faces bruised. There was blood at the front of Roberta's shirt, too, just above her belt. It was a gunshot wound, for sure. A rifle Wolf assumed had belonged to Kepler lay a few feet away. If he reached it, that was the end of the Bloodhound.

"Not gonna lie," Revy began, breaking the silence as the others all fell in beside Wolf. "It's a pretty impressive show that bitch is putting on for us. One fucking arm and she's still kicking his ass." That wouldn't last long. No matter how dangerous a person was, no matter how relentless and persevering they were, they would give out eventually. Especially Roberta. She had been through far too much torment and carnage for one human being. Her time would come soon enough. Wolf was almost regretting calling her out of retirement to go after Black Bear.

Considering she was here, the man who raped Usagi must have been inside the factory. He was not looking forward to Usagi's reaction when they brought him out. As Roberta pulled back her arm for another punch, Max managed to free himself from her restraint. With one meaty arm, he struck her across the face before grabbing the back of her shirt and pulling, throwing her into the far wall. He could have gone for the rifle. Wolf was almost about to race him to it in an attempt to stop him. But he didn't. He went straight for the Bloodhound, death in his eyes as he grabbed her and slammed her against the wall with unbridled fury. The impact clearly discombobulated her. As if that wasn't enough, Kepler pulled her away from the wall and slammed her a second time. That was worse than the first time, a pained grunt escaping her lips as she struggled for air. Wolf started to move forward then in an attempt to help her, followed closely by a hesitant Revy. They only made it a few feet before they were stopped dead by the sight of what happened next.

Kepler grabbed Roberta's arm and held it in place so she could not do anything. It seemed like she had no options left. She had already taken a bad enough beating and Kepler was intent on continuing the torment. The only way she was getting out of this was if he was killed.

"Look at ya, love," the Irishman taunted. "The fuck are ya gonna do, you fucking cyclops?!" Without missing a beat, the Lovelace maid launched her gaping maw at the man's throat and bit down hard, sinking her teeth into his flesh. Wolf saw the blood before anything else happened, forcing him to come to a stop. In one swift motion, Roberta pulled back with Kepler's larynx hanging from her mouth. The crunch as she tore flesh from flesh was sickening.

Blood now soaked her face as Kepler's slowly failing body crumbled in a pool of his own life essence. Roberta spat the mangled flesh onto the ground and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The others just stared at her in bewilderment, utterly shocked at this barbaric display. As if the three bounty hunters hadn't already been afraid of the maid, they now looked ready to flee the area at any moment. Rock was at a loss for words as he came forward. Not sure how to proceed, Wolf cleared his throat as he prepared to say something that would ease the tension. Nothing came to mind. As Roberta's legs suddenly gave out and she collapsed to her knees, Wolf sheathed his blade and rushed to her side.

"Easy does it," he told her gently. "Come on, you fucking trooper. You've earned a rest." He grabbed her arm and put it around his neck before lifting her and helping her walk towards the steelyard's entrance. He could hear her ragged, intermittent breathing as she struggled to walk for herself. To say the others kept their distance was an understatement. Shenhua practically moved out of the way as Sawyer clutched her chainsaw protectively and Lotton covered his crotch.

"B…Black…"

"What?" Wolf asked, looking over Roberta to make sure she was okay.

"Black Bear," she muttered weakly, looking up at him. "In the factory…" Wolf's eyes widened as he realised how stupid it had been to leave without checking for the assassin first. He awkwardly turned around and spotted Revy in the doorway, her Cutlass pointed downwards, presumably at the restrained Bear.

"Revy!" Wolf called back to her, a warning edge to his voice. He was in no mood to fight right now, but he couldn't let her execute the assassin they had worked so hard to capture alive. He needed to do all he could to make sure Revy stayed in line. "Don't do it, Revy! Rock, help me out here!" The Japanese man stared blankly at the far wall for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. Usagi had clearly taken a liking to Rock before Bear came to Roanapur. Then, the two of them had something of a connection, a budding friendship that Rock was glad of. He cared about her a lot and what Black Bear did was unforgiveable. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to let Revy do what she was going to do. But he respected Wolf and his decisions. He knew there would be a good reason for keeping Bear alive. He had to trust that when the time came, the Native American would be executed.

"He's right, Revy," he called to his colleague. "Don't do this."

"Stay out of it, Rock!" Revy growled as her hand began to shake and she squeezed gently on the trigger, practically urging herself to just shoot the man and get it over with. But something was clearly staying her hand.

"If you shoot him, all of this will have been for nothing," Rock went on. "I promise you, when the time comes, you'll get your chance. Right?" He turned to Wolf.

"Right," the assassin agreed.

"Please," Rock continued, hoping against hope that Revy would actually show mercy to the one person who didn't deserve it. "You know you're better than this. Don't make this situation worse than it already is." Revy just stood there for a few moments, her gun pointed at Black Bear all the while. It would be so easy to shoot him and get it over with. He deserved it. In fact, he deserved much worse. When it seemed like she might go against Wolf's wishes and shoot, she instead dropped her gun to her side and sighed.

"Ah, fuck!" she exclaimed. "It ain't even worth it. Look at him, he's fucking unconscious." She produced a cigarette instead and lit it. Wolf had never been happier to stop Revy from shooting someone. He breathed deeply as he turned back towards the street and helped Roberta across the road. Usagi's head popped up from behind the door, an expression of concern on her face. The sight of the injured Roberta, followed by three armed bounty hunters and a visibly shaken Rock probably didn't do her nerves any favours. Wolf opened the back door of the sedan and helped Roberta in before motioning to Usagi to roll down the window. She did so.

"Nobody bothered you, did they?" he asked. He already knew the answer, the question was more out of habit than anything.

"No," Usagi answered meekly, her eyes going to Roberta. The poor girl couldn't have looked more scared.

"It's alright, she's a friend," Wolf assured her. He didn't want her to see Black Bear. He would not allow that. There was no telling what the sickeningly depraved, callous assassin might say if he got a look at his victim again. "We're going to get you home, alright? Just give me a second." With that, he turned and went to the entrance of the steelyard, where Rock and Revy were standing.

"Rock, you mind driving Usagi and Roberta back to mine?" he asked quietly. The two of them looked confused at that.

"Um…sure, but why?"

"I, uh, I don't really want Black Bear anywhere near her." Flustered as though he had been incredibly foolish, Rock nodded frantically in agreement.

"Oh, of course! Sorry." He went to the car immediately. As Wolf started towards the factory to retrieve Black Bear, Revy grabbed his arm. She was never good at sharing her thoughts or feelings, but she had been through a lot with Wolf, including when he had learned about her past. She could ask this of him.

"You ain't shitting me, right, Wolfy?" she asked. "When the time comes, when you're done with that prick…you're gonna let me take him out, right?" Surprised but understanding of Revy's concern, Wolf nodded.

"I promise," he told her. "And I'm going to be there to watch you tear him apart."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Whole New World

Each and every one of the Dead Men fell to their knees as soon as Hunter entered the main hall. Normally, he did not care for such fickle displays of power amongst his own people, but this morning he was angry. And his people knew that. For that reason alone, they bowed to him as if he was their king. His anger and power over them, his hold on each of them that kept them loyal, was enough to make them totally submissive to his will. Whether they liked it or not, he had them all in the palm of his hand.

He walked on towards the centre of the hall, lined on either side by kneeling men and women in their black military fatigues and balaclavas. Only Rahul stood, following him close behind. Their argument had been a private affair, one the Chinese man hoped to have away from the others. But he engaged Hunter when the crime lord had been on his way to the main hall, and Hunter stopped for no one. Less than pleased about the fact that the bulk of the Dead Men would hear his next words but left with no alternative, he continued the argument.

"You know how loyal I am to you," he told his boss, his voice raised and angry. He never lost his temper with the man who ruled over Dead Men, but this situation was like no other. Not only had Hunter known about Black Bear's crimes, he also decided to keep Usagi's father in the dark. That was something that Rahul considered unacceptable, even for the man he was most afraid of. "I have never once questioned your leadership. Everything I've done, I've done for our people, for the Dead Men." He almost had to break into a jog to keep up with the brooding crime lord. "But you had no right to keep this from me. I should have been the first to know."

"You were in the city," Hunter reminded him, coming to a halt in the centre of the hall. Both of them were surrounded on all sides by the kneeling Dead Men. Hunter did not turn to face Rahul. "You wanted me to send one of these people to you, as obvious as a shit in a swimming pool, just to tell you about this?! Fuck off, Rahul. What a goddamn waste of time. You were doing a job for me. I told you when you got back this morning."

"Are you serious?" Rahul asked boldly. He could practically feel the tension radiating from the others, too frightened to even raise their bowed heads. "Listen to yourself, Hunter. I'll say again; I should have been the first to know. No exceptions."

"You know now, for fuck's sake," Hunter spat, still with his back turned to his underling.

"And what of the assassin? Bear is still loose on the city. Your reports suggest he may be in the hands of the enemy."

"I'm handling it," he said, deathly quiet.

"You really think-!"

"I'M HANDLING IT!" Hunter screamed, whipping around at the speed of light and striding up to Rahul until their faces were inches apart. The Dead Men around them almost recoiled, visibly surprised by this outburst. Hunter's breath was heavy and hot as he stared the Chinese man in the eyes, unwavering and confrontational.

Rahul looked away momentarily as he weighed his options. Hunter was his boss, the man who decided whether he lived or died. And yet, he had never made a decision in the past that Rahul considered wrong or foolish. Only now had he questioned Hunter. The man in black looked around and eyed each of the kneeling killers contemplatively. After a few tense moments of silence, he went to the steel stairs a few feet away and climbed up onto the walkway, looking down at his people as he so often did.

"Is this what's happened to my organisation?" he asked them, though no answer was actually expected. He was preparing a speech, the first one in a long time. It was rare someone talked back to Hunter. When they did, he made a point of disciplining them. If their offense was drastic enough, they were killed. Rahul got off easy today. "I really thought we were passed this shit. What a fucking mess we've found ourselves in. You are _all_ up shit creek with your mouths wide open. Let me lay down the law of the land, one more fucking time, in case your skulls are all too thick to get it." He glanced threateningly at Rahul.

Hunter was a jolly man, a disturbingly happy-go-lucky killer who showed malice and glee in even the most horrid of situations. His execution of Ulysses was evidence of that, how he laughed and smiled at the death of the Formation's leader. But now, he wore a face of fury, anger and unrestrained aggression pouring from his skin. It was one of the few things that genuinely terrified Rahul. "There are rules," Hunter went on. "You pay your dues, do your job, earn your keep. You do whatever it takes to pay the bill. I'm a reasonable guy, I believe that. If any of you want to dispute it, be my guest. But I've never mistreated any of you without cause. You are all here by choice. When I founded the Dead Men, a lot of my people were forced under my service, I'll admit. They were enemies of mine that I took control of. None of you have been around long enough to remember that. You all came later, eager and willing to work for me, right? I run a tight ship, but it's a system that works, a system that makes sure we all go to bed at night with food in our stomachs and warm blankets over our bodies. You all go out there and do as I say. You risk your life to carry out my will. And in return, you get fed. You get a roof over your head. You survive. This world…it's pretty goddamn shitty, I don't think any of you can argue that. It's even shittier when you get thrown off the deep end. The Dead Men…we're an opportunity to work for a living, to kill and fight and destroy. And in return, you get to have a life. More than you could ask for in the real world, the 'civilised' world, right?"

None of them spoke up. They all knew too well how right he was. Whether Hunter sought them out or they found him, they had all come to join the Dead Men and make it what it was now. For that, he kept them alive and prospering. It was almost a shame this speech would only reach the ears of the hundred or so people in the hall right now. There were at least that many back in Hong Kong and others elsewhere in Roanapur who might question Hunter's leadership in the future who would do well to listen to what he had to say this morning.

The terrifying leader of killers turned towards Rahul, eyeing him intently. "So all I ask for is little FUCKING GRATITUDE! IS THAT SO GODDAMN MUCH?!" Again, his people were silent. They owed him their lives. Even Rahul, who hadn't been willing to join the Dead Men at the start, was now wealthier and safer than he had ever been as a solo criminal. Hunter closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he composed himself before looking down at his followers once more. "We've lost a lot of people during this war. Despite what a lot of you might whisper to each other in the showers, I _do not_ take their deaths lightly. Any of them. It fucking sickens me that they won't get to come back home with us and enjoy the fact that they helped assert our dominance in this shithole of a city." His eyes once more fell on Rahul, gentler this time. "Black Bear made the worst mistake of his life when he did something so unforgiveable. He was a trusted employee, a gun for hire that I used before, nothing else. He wasn't a friend, or a colleague, or even an associate of the Dead Men. He was a worm. And now…I'm coming for him. He _will_ pay for what he did. And when the time comes to show him how badly he fucked up, I won't hold back. The Bear will face my wrath. And he will fucking cry for the pain to stop." When they realised he was finished talking, each and every one of the men and women below came to their feet and stomped once, followed by a thunderous cry of "Døde mænd og døde sjæle!" The Danish phrase had been something of a comfort to the Dead Men, a mantra during times of torment that served to uplift them and give them hope that they would pull through. None of them had known of it until three years ago, when Hunter started saying it to them. The trip he had been on to Europe was a mysterious one, its specifics still known only to the crime lord. Once he was satisfied with his speech, he descended once more and continued on past Rahul to his office.

"Boss, I-"

"Follow me," he cut Rahul off. Apprehensive but curious, he did as he was told, following the man in black upstairs to his office and closing the door behind him. Hunter stood with his back to the room, his arms clasped behind him and his gaze on the land outside. Roanapur stood only a mile away, maybe less. "Tell me, what do you know of this warehouse? Your people were pretty vague." That was an odd question, one Rahul tried his best to answer given the tension and discomfort after the previous few minutes.

"I don't know much," he began, clearing his throat. "It's been abandoned for some time. From what your people discovered, it looks like it served as some sort of military installation. There were advanced weapons and empty shell casings in the storage room."

"You think the army were keeping an eye on this place?"

"Not this country's military," Rahul theorised. "Many of the weapons and ammo were indicative of England or even America. Perhaps Interpol were watching the city."

"I doubt it," Hunter shot him down. "If that was the case, Roanapur wouldn't be standing anymore. No, I think whoever was here must have been…ex-military. Maybe they're still in the city right now." He remained silent for a few moments before turning to face Rahul. The Chinese man swallowed hard. "But that's beside the point, right?" That 'bared-fangs' smirk returned now. Rahul wasn't sure if Hunter was scarier when he was angry or happy. The smile sort of faded as the crime lord leaned forward and rested his fists on the rickety table in front of him. "I trust I won't have to repeat what I said out there?"

"Of course not," Rahul answered all too quickly. "I understand. I was just…"

"Scared," Hunter interjected. His subordinate nodded. "For your daughter. Of course you were. If you weren't, you'd be a sick excuse for a human being and a bad father. Which you are not." There was only silence as Rahul forced a smile. "But don't ever talk back to me like that again. It's a whole new world, Rahul. Even here, after everything we've been through, there are still things to see. Hotel Moscow, the Russians. Warriors and mass killers, the lot of them. They're dangerous. And smart. And fucking treacherous. But they get the job done. I could learn a thing or two from then, I'll admit. And the Triad? The next best thing to Hotel Moscow, I'm sure. But still damn dangerous when backed into a corner. They're all thriving out here, working their fingers to the bone to stay in power." He stood up straight and produced the fingerless leather glove from his pocket, its silver spikes shining and pristine in the light, no longer drenched with blood and covered with flesh. Hunter pulled it on over his right glove and held it up, making a fist to emphasise the danger of the weapon. "I will end them both."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Price

The sound of a creaking door was the first thing Black Bear heard when he awoke. He was groggy and nauseous, effects of his tussle with the maid. He was curious about her. Despite her claims, she was far more formidable than anyone he had faced in the past. What bothered him most was the fact that she only had one arm. If her gait and slight, almost imperceptible limp were anything to go by, that right leg was a prosthetic too.

Bear couldn't open his eyes. They had blindfolded him. He should have expected that. Wherever he had been taken, they didn't want him knowing how to escape. On the off chance that he had allies to call upon, they wanted to make sure he could not direct them to his location. Lucky for them, he was all alone. The assassin could definitely hear multiple footsteps, indicating at least three people had entered the room. The door that opened moments earlier was slammed shut and Bear's blindfold was removed. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light, dim as it was. The source was a lantern hanging from the ceiling, illuminating only a small circle around the bound assassin. The rest of the surprisingly spacious room was obscured. There could be fifty people in here and he would never know. He didn't recognise the man who removed his blindfold.

"Black Bear," he spoke, his voice deep and steady. As hard as he was trying to remain calm, his hard gaze and heavy breathing implied he was very angry. "I'm the Wolf." Both of them were silent for a few moments as they studied each other. Bear wasn't certain whether he had heard of this man before or not. If he had, he probably hadn't taken notice, too apathetic or arrogant to ever consider they would cross paths. He was regretting that now. What troubled him most was why he hadn't been killed yet. These people clearly despised him, assumedly for what he did to Usagi. It made no sense to interrogate him. He had no information to offer, no details on the Dead Men, no money to offer in exchange for his life, nothing. They would do well to kill him and be done with it, despite how much he hoped that didn't happen.

"So you're the guy who hired the maid," he remarked smugly, an ugly smirk appearing on his bruised face. "Smart move. I gotta say, when she first showed herself, I thought she'd go down easy. I even told her how bad a call it was to hire her. But, man…she really showed me, huh?"

"You could say that."

"So…why am I tied up in here instead of rotting at the bottom of the ocean?" Clearly, this 'Wolf' had a hard time answering that question. He glanced around the room and squinted, searching for a valid response. None came to mind, judging by the expression on his face.

"I don't know," he admitted. There was more malice and sinister undertones to that remark than met the eye. "I guess I wanted to talk. I don't know how much your employers told you, but I'm the guy taking care of Usagi." The Wolf's tone and manner grew darker, then, as he frowned and shot a menacing glance at Bear. "That apartment you broke into? Yeah, that was mine."

"I didn't break into it," Bear claimed. Though there was undoubtedly no defence for his actions, he was intent to set the facts straight regarding something like this. He elicited no joy from knowing what he did to Usagi. It was an action he had committed before, more than once. Some of the women he killed, others he mentally destroyed. It just was what it was. There was no malice behind it. Or at least that was Bear's outlook on his depraved lifestyle. He was sure this young man before him would disagree. "The girl let me inside. Said I wanted to see the man of the house. After that…well, you know."

Bear did not smile. If he did, he would probably get his teeth kicked in. Whatever it was that snapped in his mind all those years ago, it made it so rape was trivial to him. It came to him easily, like walking or riding a bike for children. It was part of who he was. In his mind, even deep down within the psyche of a villainous man like Bear, he probably recognised that it was wrong, that he was doing something horrible. But it didn't stop him. He was driven by an instinct inside more animalistic than human, one that made him force himself upon others. He never thought about it, partly because he would not be able to explain it. To him, this darkness inside, this instinct…it just was what it was. Wolf looked about ready to tackle Bear out of disgust.

"You're a sick man," he muttered quietly. "You know that? There's something not right in your head. You actually enjoy this."

"And how are you any different?" Bear asked, leaning forward in his chair as much as he could. "Answer me that, Wolf. All of you fuckers in this city are just as bad as me, the catalyst is just different. I get my kicks from doing what I did, you get yours from killing people. Don't tell me you don't fucking blow your load every time you gun down an enemy."

"Every time I kill someone, I have a reason," Wolf retorted. "I kill to keep my comrades alive. And to make sure I'm alive to see this shit out to the end. In my early days…yeah, maybe in my naiveté, my immaturity, I might have gotten off on it. But you change. You grow. You adapt. But rape? That's just…wrong, no matter what way you look at it. Don't even try and defend yourself." Bear scoffed. He knew by that subtle change on Wolf's face, he was startled. Even if he did not want to admit it, he knew Bear was partly right in what he said. Even those he didn't know had been described by his rant. Revy was a prime example, someone who would probably execute innocent civilians if she was pressed far enough and find such an act of slaughter exhilarating. But this man would not give in. He was adamant that he was right.

"You can keep telling yourself how much of a saint you are, but it doesn't change things," Bear continued, intent on making Wolf see his way of thinking. He would probably die here today. The least he could do was convince his kidnapper that they weren't so different, on the same level of filth in this world. And if he earned his life in the process, that was a bonus. "Deep down, we're the same, you and me. Both of us have been thrown into a world where rules don't exist. People can pretend they do, like Hunter and Ulysses. But it's a jungle out there. We're all animals, about time we start living like it. Neither of us were born like this, right? Tell me, what did you want to be when you were a kid?"

"What?!" Wolf asked, bewildered by this line of questioning.

"It's a simple, question, pal," Bear shot at him. "Come on. What was it, doctor, teacher, something like that?" Wolf was silent for a few moments as he shifted his weight. Clearly, talking about his past made him uncomfortable. If Bear survived this, he would be sure to use that to his advantage.

"Palaeontologist," Wolf answered then, averting his eyes.

"Digging up bones instead of burying them, huh?" Bear asked, smiling openly. "Bit out there, but okay. I wanted to be a chef. Pretty fucking stupid, right? And now look at us. Both killers, both stuck like this, both caught up in a conflict we have nothing to do with. Amazing how things change. No matter how innocent a child is, no matter how well-behaved they are, there is always potential to fall. And if you fall far enough…there's no climbing back out. Like us. We fell far, and we hit the bottom hard. Rock fucking bottom. So we're stuck like this forever. Two sides of the same coin, you and I. We just have different views on the world."

"Enough!" Wolf screamed, balling his hands into fists and stepping forward. He looked like he might hit Bear before composing himself and exhaling deeply. "Just…enough, alright? I don't want to hear any more of your shit." Bear offered one more smile before nodding obediently and sitting back in his seat. "When I found out what you did, I wanted to break your jaw. Let you choke on your teeth. Maybe I should have."

"Maybe," Bear agreed. "But it wouldn't have solved anything. Like I said…even if you don't want to hear it, killing is what gets you off, it makes you what you are. I know. I've been in this business long enough. You're an assassin, right? Or at the very least, you're a mercenary. I can see it in your eyes, I can smell it from your insides. You'll be killing for the rest of your life. You're gonna go on slaughtering anyone who looks at you wrong until one day, you try your hand at killing someone better and they take you out instead. Like me…right? I bit off more than I could chew. And now you're going to make sure I never do…what I did…ever again."

"Do you even regret it?" Wolf asked suddenly, eyeing Bear confrontationally. The disgust and anger in his eyes was evident. It was a wonder he hadn't used that Desert Eagle yet. Bear thought on that question. It was simple at face value, but for the Native American, whose mind was convoluted and labyrinthine, it was not so easy to answer.

"Yeah," he answered finally. "Yeah, I do. But not for the reason you're hoping. I regret it because it fucked me in the long run. Kind of like I was doing it to myself, huh?" That horrid joke was met with stony silence, followed by Wolf resting his hand on the handle of his gun. "What I did…it sealed my fate. Made sure I never made it back home in one piece. If I got away with it, if I'd done it and that was that, no trouble…no, I wouldn't think twice about it." Wolf's lower lip curled downwards like a bulldog's once he heard that and his frown seemed to deepen even more. "But, hey, it's done now, right? No going back. I've fallen, like I said. And it's a hell of a climb back up. A climb I'm not willing to make. A climb I'm sure you won't give me the chance to make. Because the only way I'll change is if you let me walk out that door right now. And even then…there's no guarantee." Bear wasn't sure if he should be trying to brownnose in an attempt to save himself or not. But he was never one to suck up to people, even when his life was on the line. He would remain the same to the bitter end. Wolf seemed to consider the situation. It was clear he wanted to kill Bear there and then. But something was obviously staying his hand. He glanced behind him for a few seconds before turning to Black Bear and smirking.

"Well, I guess this is the end," he said theatrically, leaning his back on the pillar behind him and folding his arms.

"I guess so," Bear concurred, poising himself for an execution. He had never been shot with a Desert Eagle before. If he was killed with a headshot, it wouldn't hurt, at least not for long. "So, you gonna show me why they call you the Wolf now?" The man simply chuckled, setting Bear on edge a bit.

"No," Wolf answered, far too much glee in his voice. "No, I'm not." He waved his hand towards the bound Bear. Nothing happened at first. There was only eerie silence and tension in the air. But then he heard the footsteps. First he spotted a white shirt to Wolf's right, emerging from the darkness. It was the maid from the factory. She looked none too pleased to be in the rapist's presence. On the other side, a woman Bear did not recognise stepped out of the shadows and folded her arms. Despite her understandably infuriated expression, there was something more to her. She was far more eager to taste Bear's blood than the others, he knew that right away. "They are," Wolf said then. He pointed to the maid with his thumb. "This is Roberta. Even in her condition, she's still ten times the assassin you'll ever be." He pointed to his left then. "And Revy? She could kick your arse with both hands tied behind her back." A wicked smile appeared on Wolf's face as he anticipated what was about to happen. "They're going to make you regret the fact that you didn't shoot yourself the first time you laid hands on a woman." Bear's heart sank as he realised what was happening. He was not going to be executed or killed quickly like he assumed. No, they would not do him that service. He was going to be torn apart like a wild animal, these two women eager to make him pay for what he did to Usagi. Wolf's smile immediately faded and he donned an expression of dark anger. The last thing Bear felt was his own flesh being torn apart as the maid and the gunslinger massacred him, his blood and guts spilling out onto the floor.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Red

"So it's done," Chang said matter-of-factly, taking a seat by the window of Lagoon Company's apartment. "Black Bear is out of the picture, one way or another." Apart from Lagoon Company, only Wolf was present. Though Chang kept his cool and never showed what he was thinking inside, he undoubtedly noticed the subdued moods of the others. Bear's death had been an important moment for them, for reasons some in the room did not quite understand. Chang was no fool. He sensed immediately there was more gravity to the situation than he knew.

"The Dead Men are gonna be pissed," Dutch weighed in, propping his feet up on the table.

"I'm sure," Chang agreed. "Hunter obviously wanted to take out the assassin himself. The fact that you," he gestured to Wolf and Revy, "got there first will only give him more reason to hate us. But that's beside the point. Bear wasn't the priority, but I'm glad he isn't running around out there without a leash."

"Any more news on the Dead Men?" Benny asked as he opened his laptop and brought up several different files, most of them maps of Roanapur's districts. As far as they all knew, Hunter was still in hiding, his location and plans unknown. His people hadn't been spotted either, which was as surprising as it was unsettling. It was frightening enough that a very dangerous, very capable crime lord was successfully remaining undetected, even more so that he hadn't done anything since killing Ulysses. It was almost as if he wasn't bothered making anymore moves towards toppling his enemies. But they all knew that was nonsense. If he refused to announce himself, he had a good reason, that was for sure. When the time came, when all the pieces were in place and the Dead Men knew they were ready, Hunter would strike. It was a day none of them were looking forward to.

"Basically nothing," Chang told them grudgingly. He of all people was displeased with their lack of progress regarding their enemies. He hated it when his foes remained hidden from him. The presence of the Dead Men must have been driving him mad. "Since Hunter killed Ulysses, there's been no movement. My people haven't seen anything other than that shootout with Kepler. Speaking of which, you never did tell me the details there." Revy and Wolf looked at one another nervously. Aside from the shootout with the Dead Men and Kepler's presence, they hadn't explained the specifics to Chang.

"You want to tell him or should I?" Revy asked. No matter whose mouth it came from, Chang wasn't going to be happy.

"We didn't find Black Bear ourselves," Wolf began, clearly uncomfortable. "I called in someone I thought would be more efficient at tracking, someone who's been here before." They knew from Chang's face that he instantly came to the right conclusion.

"You're not telling me you called in the Bloodhound for this?"

"I did," Wolf said. "It mightn't have been the smartest move, but if I hadn't, the Dead Men would have gotten to him first. That's what Kepler was doing at the steelyard. He was after the assassin. Roberta…she killed him. And then we killed Bear."

"Where is she now?" Chang asked. His voice left no room for argument. He wanted to know where she was, for better or worse.

"My apartment," Wolf answered immediately. "She's injured. I swear, she's not going to cause any grief in your city." Chang didn't look too convinced. Back when Kane was laying siege to the city, Roberta's presence did not seem like such a problem. But these were different times. Things had changed, situations had evolved.

"Maybe it's a good thing she was there," Dutch added, much to the surprise of the others. "Kepler was in the IRA, right? Who better to take out a terrorist than another terrorist?" Wolf furrowed his brow and leaned forward.

"He was in the IRA?! Damn, I though his accent was from my neck of the woods."

"Anyway, if she wasn't there, that crazy bastard might have done more damage," Dutch continued. "Roberta really did a number on him. I'm assuming that's no easy feat?" The question was directed at Wolf.

"Well, I might be out on a limb here, but I'm willing to bet Roberta is better trained than that scumbag." He chuckled to himself. "But, yeah, the republican boyos are nasty bastards. We should have introduced him to Lucille. A former IRA bomber and an ex-S.A.S. soldier? They'd have gotten along fucking swimmingly."

"Speaking of Lucille, we might have another problem on our hands," Chang piped up, apparently willing to let Roberta's presence in the city go. Considering current events, she wasn't on their list of priorities. Even if she meant the ruling factions harm, her current condition meant she would be an easy target. Her fight with Kepler did more damage than she cared to admit. "I think Balalaika might finally be onto us, there. She's been mentioning some newcomer assassin recently, woman that calls herself Red. I assume that's our girl. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but Balalaika seems intent on bringing her up when I'm around. We might have more shit to deal with there in the future."

"Shit," Wolf muttered. He supposed it was only a matter of time before Hotel Moscow caught on that Lucille was alive. Nobody operated in Roanapur without their say so. Or, at least, that had been the case before Hunter came along.

"It's odd that she would bring this up now, don't you think?" Rock asked then, that signature look of contemplation on his face. He was smart, they had all come to learn that one way or another. When he spoke, the entire room turned to listen. "Hasn't Lucille been working in the city all this time? I don't imagine Miss Balalaika has been oblivious up until now."

"Me too, kid," Chang concurred. "I always thought that on some level, she knew Lucille was alive. She just didn't want to make an issue out of it. But let's face it, that's not how Balalaika rolls. The second Lucille tried to make a living here, she was a dead woman."

(*)

The bandages Lucille managed to find weren't the cleanest, but they would do the job. She needed to hurry. Despite the fact that Wolf assumed everything was fine, Roberta's injury was a nasty one. If she didn't die from blood loss, the bullet that fragmented inside her would have caused more damage. They were lucky each of the fragments had been removed. By now, the table Roberta had been laying on was covered in blood and Lucille's gloves were dripping. But the maid was alive, that was the main thing. What was more, she was awake and ready to get bandaged up. The Englishwoman had rarely witnessed such strength in anyone before. She gently opened the roll of bandage and started to wrap it around Roberta's abdomen.

"Is she going to be alright?" Usagi asked, holding a small saucer in her hands. The pieces of the bullet were on it, bloodied and jagged. Though Roberta had enough wits about her to stay sitting upright, she was still very groggy. It was doubtful she was fully awake. That, too, was another remarkable show of strength.

"Yes," Lucille claimed. After the time she had spent trying to save the maid's life, she was certain the old assassin would make it through this. As soon as they got her wound bandaged up, they would have nothing to worry about. "She'll be fine, Usagi." Worried but trusting of Lucille's judgement, the young Chinese girl turned and retreated to the bathroom to deposit the bullet fragments.

"I didn't think you would be so eager to help," Roberta croaked weakly. She was evidently more awake than she let on. This woman's antics never ceased to amaze Lucille. The redhead smirked.

"Wasn't going to let you die, was I?"

"If you did, would it make a difference?" There was silence for several moments.

"To Wolf," she answered. "I have no doubt your death would not sit well with him." She continued to bandage the Bloodhound's wound, making sure to wrap it tightly so the wound would be properly covered. Risk of infection was a trivial problem they had no time for. "If not for him, for my own peace of mind. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

"How very noble," Roberta told her. She cleared her throat when she realised how sarcastic that must have sounded. "I…mean that. I am grateful for this. There is no telling how the Young Master would have reacted if he learned I did not survive. My presence here is already a source of great displeasure to him."

"He must really care about you."

"And I him." The more Lucille tried to help Roberta, the more she was forced to reflect on herself. After her task force had been wiped out and she was left alive, she made attempts to succumb to the darkness of this world. Going forward the way she was, she would never thrive in this city. Her actions following the deaths of her comrades were all done to try and change her, to make her desensitised to this world. It was something she suspected Wolf took issue with, a result of his protectiveness of her, his desire to save her, perhaps. But even now, Lucille's actions proved that her soul was not lost. She was actively helping another, a woman she had no affection for, a woman she would have killed without second thought during her time as the leader of Godswrath. She had changed, that was a certainty. But she was still very much in control of how much she would change before this was over. She could still retain her humanity, even in this city. "You are not like the others here."

"Pardon?" Lucille asked, startled. She had been far too lost in her thoughts, though her bandaging skills hadn't suffered. Roberta's abdomen was now completely covered, neat and clean. The maid turned and stood, facing Lucille at last. Even with one eye, even to a woman as formidable as Lucille, the Bloodhound's gaze was intimidating.

"This city is a cesspool of crime and inhumanity," Roberta continued. "There are people here who would do unspeakable things for money or power. Revy, the cartels, Black Bear…but you are different. I can tell. You are still the same woman who came to this city with the hope of making a change."

"If I was the same person, I'd be dead," Lucille argued. "Or Balalaika would." Roberta smirked.

"Perhaps," she conceded. "But I can tell by looking at you. You haven't lost yourself just yet. There is still hope for you." Lucille raised an eyebrow. As amused as she was, she knew the maid was right. Perhaps there was still a way back from the path she had chosen. It was something that crept back into her mind recently. Living here, amongst the worst of the worst, made her reflect. She had been a respected soldier once, a formidable warrior who killed terrorists in the name of democracy and freedom. To compare that life to the one she lead now almost brought her to tears.

"Maybe I'm too far gone," she muttered, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I've done things the old me would have been disgusted at. That…doesn't bode well for me." Roberta snatched up the beret from the table, examining the S.A.S. badge on the front and smiling.

"I beg to differ," she said. "You're still you. Even in this city, you haven't given in. Not like these others." In some strange way, Roberta's words actually made sense to Lucille. She wanted to believe that she was still a figure of justice and righteousness in a world flooded by blood and shit. Lucille grabbed the beret from Roberta's hand and placed it on her head. It hadn't been worn by her in some time. Even today, she only brought it out of habit. In a moment of impulse, she reached into her pocket and produced a hair tie, tying the fiery red blaze of hair on her head back into a ponytail, like it had been when she first came to Roanapur. It was a simple display, but one that brought comfort to her.

"I appreciate that," she told Roberta. "Thank you."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Act of War

After everything that had happened in such a short space of time, Wolf, Revy and Rock would be glad to get away from the city and clear their heads. It was odd that Balalaika only requested their presence and not the rest of Lagoon Company or Roanapur's bounty hunters. Then again, if this job was as important as it sounded, Hotel Moscow needed someone they could trust, someone who had a way with words and who would not lose their temper or try and shoot their way out of the problem. Rock fit that description perfectly, but he was absolutely defenceless on his own. For that reason, Revy theorised she and Wolf had been called on also. They took their seats across from the intimidating woman. She immediately crossed her legs and smile politely at them.

"I'm sure you know why I called you three here today," she said presumptuously. Dutch had told them the details, though even he did not know everything about this job they were being hired for.

"What is it you need?" Rock asked, straight to the point. "Dutch mentioned something about a contact of yours in New York, but that was about it."

"Not a contact of mine," Balalaika corrected him. "Of Hunter's. Augustus Kells. A former member of the Dead Men. Five months ago, he fled Hong Kong and Hunter has been trying to track him down ever since. Normally, I wouldn't turn to outsiders for help. It tends to complicate the situation unnecessarily. But this is a special case. Nobody wants to admit it, but we're out of options. We have no idea where the Dead Men are staying, nor have they made any significant movements. For that reason, I want you to meet with Mister Kells and convince him to join us. I have no doubt he would relish at the opportunity to topple his old boss."

"Are you sure he can be trusted?" Rock asked. "Considering Hunter hasn't found him after all this time, it seems a bit too easy."

"Trust me, Rock," Balalaika began, "nothing about acquiring this information was 'easy.' He's legitimate. I have no doubt you are the best person for the job." There was no denying that. Even the more diplomatic of Roanapur's killers paled in comparison to Rock when it came to people skills. He was second to none and Hotel Moscow would look to nobody else for this job. Regarding the other two, however, it seemed Balalaika was being a tad overcautious.

Revy had served as Rock's bodyguard before, having accompanied him to Tokyo and on countless other missions in the past. She was more than sufficient. Why, then, had the Wolf been called here? "And we can't have you shipping off to America without protection, can we?" Balalaika added with impeccable timing.

"That makes sense," Wolf agreed. "But why am I here? Surely Revy would be protection enough. I doubt the job will be that dangerous. They've been at this longer than me."

"How right you are," Balalaika concurred in her almost singsong voice, that unsettling sense that she knew more than she was letting on pervading the air. "But these are dark times, Wolf. Think of your involvement as more of a contingency. Hunter has been…underestimated, that much is obvious. Should he think to send a platoon of his forces after Rock, he will need all the help he can get. While I have no doubt in your abilities, Two-Hands, I can't risk this going south either."

That still sounded like bullshit. While it was entirely possible Wolf was being sent just to account for Hunter's people in New York, there was an eerie sense that something else was afoot. Then again, Balalaika always gave off that aura. Perhaps it was as simple as she said.

"When do we leave?" Rock asked. Considering how uncertain things were right now, Balalaika would do well not to waste time. It was conceivable that they would be heading to New York within the next twenty-four hours.

"Tomorrow," Balalaika told them, confirming their suspicions. "At midday. My ship will take you out about ten miles onto the water. From there, a plane will be waiting to take you to your destination. You'll be staying in a lovely little hotel called the Li Zhang Palace." When she heard that, Revy immediately snapped to attention, her eyes wide and fixated on the Russian woman. She knew that hotel, she had seen it before. A horrible burning sensation welled up in her chest at the memories that flooded into her head.

"That…that's in-"

"Chinatown, yes," Balalaika confirmed. "I imagine you'll feel quite at home." That was intended as a joke, but one that was almost cruel in Revy's mind. She had no intentions of returning to Chinatown, or at least she hadn't before being hired for this job. She couldn't exactly back out now. "You shouldn't be too long. The sooner we deal with this mess, the better. I look forward to Roanapur returning to normal." That was an idyllic dream for someone like Balalaika to have. It was almost as if she had learned nothing from the city's plights ever since Wolf came here.

Every time something went down, Roanapur changed, it evolved beyond rectification. Hunter's presence and war with the ruling factions was no different. After this situation was resolved, either through diplomacy or bloodshed, the city would be forever changed. It was edging closer and closer to its doom every day.

As sad a thought as it was, Roanapur would not last forever. The time would come when it was toppled, perhaps not literally. But someone would cleanse the city one way or another. Perhaps another military task force would arrive to complete what Lucille hadn't, backed by the governments of more powerful nations. Or, far more likely, maybe the warring crime syndicates would at last eat one another until nothing was left but ash and cinders. But that was beside the point. There was no room for that sort of thinking right now. There was work to be done.

"We'll do our best," Rock told Balalaika before coming to his feet. The others did the same, Revy a little hesitantly.

"Do better than your best," Balalaika told him roguishly. "You certainly have it in you, Rock. I've seen it time and time again. Bring Mister Kells back in one piece, now." Her eyes shot to Revy when she said that. They left the building then, each returning to their apartments to begin preparations. There was no telling how this would go. Augustus could well outright refuse to ally with them, meaning he would more than likely be executed by either Hotel Moscow's agents or the Dead Men. Neither situation was too agreeable. Rock hoped that would be enough to sway the former subordinate of Hunter.

Rock would ty to convince him he had nothing to lose, that rising up against Hunter was the best move he could make. But that was a lie. If Hunter managed to win this conflict with Roanapur's ruling factions, he would be coming for Augustus next. And bringing him to the city only made him an easy target. But Rock believed what Balalaika said, that he was capable of doing better than anyone thought. He had come a long way since that day on the Asahi Industries ship, being kidnapped by Dutch and Revy, his life on the line every second. Thoughts of his previous endeavours and encounters entered his head as he laid his clothes out on his bed and tried to think what to take with him.

His life had been flipped upside down, torn apart and put back together again. The day he joined Lagoon Company was still fresh on his mind. It was baffling to think on the journey he had been through. It was almost over now, one way or another. His life in Roanapur had been one hell of a rollercoaster. Thoughts of when he had fallen crept into his mind, as they so often did. The days leading up to Roberta's showdown with the American special forces unit had been trying for him, a period of uncertainty and self-evaluation. He had come close to the darkness, in a sense. In the end, it had been a convoluted attempt to save someone, to make a difference. The result had been undoubtedly positive, even if the methods had been questionable.

But after Lucille arrived, when Rock allied himself with Major Landis's private security organisation, he had truly succumbed to the shadows of this world. He hoped to never see himself in that state again. The events leading up to Godswrath's arrival moulded him and shaped his outlook until finally, he donned the mantle of a crime lord and tried his best to adjust to Roanapur. He was lucky to be standing here today, still himself, still a kind-hearted, idealistic, admittedly naïve man who still had hope. He would never fall like that again, but that person he became, that mantle he donned…it would always stay with him. Its itch was always there, its voice always talking in his head. But he was stronger for it. He had come out the other side alive and more like he had been before ever arriving in Roanapur. He snatched up a brown jacket from the bed and wiped dirt off the front of it.

"Do you think it's going to be cold there?" he asked. There was no response. "Revy?"

"Hm?" the gunslinger asked, slumped over in her seat in the corner. She had apparently been lost in thought.

"In New York," Rock reiterated. "Will it be cold there?" Revy grunted derisively, resting her head on one hand.

"It's December, dumbass," she scolded him. "Of course it'll be cold. You'll freeze your balls off."

"Oh, right," Rock mumbled, abashed. He gently folded the jacket and laid it down in his suitcase, embarrassed by his apparent dim-wittedness.

"Ah, don't look so glum," Revy told him softly after a few seconds of silence. "I was only teasing." Neither of them spoke after that for a while as Rock continued to pack. He wasn't entirely sure what Revy was doing here. Surely she had packing to do, too. But nevertheless, he was glad of her company. His relationship with her was something he was glad of, something that had been forged during his time here. Her presence made him calm.

Though he did not entirely understand his bond with her, he certainly did not want it to go away. Revy was the one person he was closest to in the city, despite her having tried to kill him on multiple occasions. He suddenly felt a sensation of warmth in his chest as he contemplated his time with her. There had been times when she had been close to death, when Rock had been helpless, unable to do anything other than just watch. The thought almost made him panicked. Without warning, he dropped the sweater in his hands and turned to Revy. What he was going to say next would probably set her off, or at the very least unsettle her. But he had to say it.

"Revy…this job is going to be dangerous," he began, swallowing hard and averting his eyes. Despite this, he could clearly spot her apprehensive expression as she watched him curiously. "I don't know what's going to happen. Hell, I don't even know if we're going to make it through the next week. Hunter might send his people after us, or Augustus might turn out to be a spy…"

"What are you saying, Rock?" Revy Asked then. But there was no anger in her voice, like Rock assumed there would be. She was concerned, maybe fearful of what Rock was getting at.

"I'm saying this can't be like another trip to Tokyo," he told her, locking eyes with her at last. "You told me the only reason you made it out of that fight with Ginji was because he was distracted, that if…if Yukio hadn't been standing there, he would have killed you." Revy's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as she realised what he was saying. She wasn't sure how to react to that. "Promise me, Revy. Promise me this isn't going to end the same way. Promise me you'll come back."

It was strange, Rock had always been fond of Revy. Even in the early days, they warmed to one another after a while. Since then, they had been almost inseparable. But only now had Rock actually shown visible concern, visible affection for her. He was worried for her safety. The thought of her coming close to death, the thought of coming back to Roanapur without her…it actually terrified him. Revy rose from her seat and took a step forward, almost aggressively. But there was no anger in that face, only confusion and embarrassment.

"Rock…where did that come from?" Her voice was low and gentle. Her cheeks, too, were blushing. She reached out her hand and rested it on his shoulder for a moment. After what seemed an hour, she gently pushed him aside and walked out of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Darkness Breeds Darkness

The plane Hotel Moscow had hired landed in an abandoned airfield just outside of New York City. Despite the fact that there were several planes here, none of them appeared to be operational. That was good. Considering the security of the country they were now in coupled with the fact that they were here illegally, it would be foolish to attract unwanted attention to the airfield. The three of them exited the aircraft as soon as they were ready to go, retrieving their bags and heading towards the limousine that was waiting for them.

Rock had deigned to wear his usual attire, having donned a full black suit and heavy brown jacket for warmth. Revy, too, no longer wore her usual attire and had come dressed in a dark green skirt, knee-high boots, a black turtleneck and a fitted brown leather jacket. Black gloves covered her hands and a beanie of matching colour adorned her head. Wolf stepped off the plane wearing camouflage combat trousers, black army boots and a black bomber jacket with leather shoulder pads. He wore fingerless gloves on both hands. It baffled Rock how the assassin's mind seemed to work. In Roanapur, he wore a heavy aviator jacket and woollen gloves, despite the immense heat. Here, in the freezing cold, the sleeves of his bomber were rolled up and he did not seem bothered by his already reddened fingers. Nevertheless, they had work to do.

The two killers had their weapons holstered beneath their coats. Carrying openly would not be tolerated like back home. The man that waited for them by the limousine had a thick, meaty head and a nasty scar on his chin. He eyed the three of them with suspicion before saluting.

"You are Miss Balalaika's guests, da?" he asked in a thick Russian accent.

"What gave us away?" Wolf joked. The man did not laugh. Instead, he took their bags and stored them in the trunk.

"I am Nikolai," he told them as he opened the door for them to step in. "Nikolai Petrovski. Journey will take about two hours." Hotel Moscow was a sprawling organisation, with footholds in multiple countries. They were one of the most prolific, dangerous crime syndicates in the world today. Balalaika was an extremely high ranking member. Though it was implied she was not wholly in charge if the Russian mafia on a global scale, most of the killers in Roanapur theorised that she was as good as their boss. Even amongst the Russians, there were likely few who would question Balalaika. The limousine took off and pulled out onto the main road, bound for New York City, to the south. Judging by the traffic, this journey may well take longer than two hours.

"You talk, Scarface?" Revy asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. Nikolai gave her a disgruntled glance in the rear-view mirror before slipping on a pair of sunglasses.

"I talk when I need to," he replied grimly. That was less than helpful. According to Balalaika's short briefing at Roanapur's port, the man they were to meet with, presumably Nikolai, was to inform them about the specifics of the job. He knew where Augustus Kells would be, whether he had agreed to the meeting or not and if Hunter's Dead Men had been spotted in the city. But Nikolai hadn't said anything noteworthy yet. Either he was waiting until they were at the hotel or he wasn't the one with the information.

"So how about telling us what the story is?" Wolf asked. Again, that was met with silence.

"You know about Mister Kells?" Nikolai asked at last.

"Of course we know about him," Revy snapped. "You think Hotel Moscow sent us out here with nothing but our good fucking looks?!"

"We just want to know everything from the get go," Wolf interjected as if to rectify any offense Revy might have caused. They had only been in the limousine five minutes and she had already managed to piss off the driver. Nikolai again remained silent. He was good at that.

"Mister Kells met with our people two days ago," the Russian spoke up then, evidently deciding against picking a fight in the spirit of moving forward with this job. "He was hesitant at first. Refused to meet with anybody. After some persuading, he change his mind."

"Persuading?" asked Rock, assuming there was more physical coercion than verbal involved in this persuasion.

"We tell him if he doesn't want to talk, we take him by force," Nikolai told them. "He very eager to agree to meeting after that."

"Why wasn't kidnapping him your first plan?" Wolf muttered quietly to the others. If Hunter had sent his people, the way to trap Augustus would be to pose as agents of their enemies and attempt to arrange a meeting. If Hunter was smart enough, he would use such a tactic. Considering Augustus was quick to agree suggested he was not the brightest. Either that, or he was tired of running. After months of doing so, it seemed plausible he would simply accept his fate, whatever it may be. Perhaps this job would be simple enough after all.

Considering the last while had been nothing but conflict, betrayal and unpredictable acts of war, it would be nice to have something finally go right for a change. But that wasn't enough for Revy. All things considered, the job was at the back of her mind. What really bothered her was how close she was to her childhood home, to the part of the world where she grew up. Chinatown was a nasty place, at least when she was young. For a girl with no protection and no family, to live there was a death sentence. Images flashed before Revy's eyes, images of dark, dingy rooms, of her own blood smeared across the floor, of a certain police officer forcing himself on her…

That same sickly, irritating feeling welled up inside her. It had been there since she boarded the plane, only amplified now that she was nearing where it happened. She had spent years trying to forget it, killing and drinking as she excelled in her new life. It almost seemed like she would escape it, right up until Black Bear showed himself. As soon as he raped Usagi, that was the beginning. Revy couldn't help it, her mind naturally went to memories of her past, despite how hard she tried to resist. And now, as if she was destined to relive her past, she had been hired to return to the very place she would rather see burned to the ground than spend another second in.

Rock yawned openly as his tiredness finally caught up with him. Seventeen hours on a plane would do that. It was midday when they left Roanapur. Here, the sun had only risen an hour ago and the cold air outside made the windows fog up. Revy probably wouldn't sleep tonight, as much as she wanted to. Her mind was too troubled, her past trauma to prevalent, too relevant. It would be a long, daunting night for her.

The car journey was a bit longer than expected, turning onto the street leading into Chinatown two hours and twenty minutes later. Even the stink of this place was all too familiar to Revy. It filled her nostrils and made her want to vomit. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be back home, drinking in the Yellowflag alongside her colleagues. As uncommon a sentiment as it was with her, she actually found herself missing Dutch and Benny. The limousine came to a stop outside the Li Zhang Palace.

"I will bring up bags for you," Nikolai told them, shutting off the engine and popping the trunk. The others all exited and halted outside the main doors. Rock looked apprehensive, clearly not the take-charge sort in these situations. He was waiting to be shown inside, seeing as how Hotel Moscow organised this entire venture. Wolf was glancing around him, evidently pleased with the location judging by his expression. And Revy couldn't have looked more uncomfortable. The only person who seemed to notice was Nikolai and he refused to say anything either out of apathy or respect.

Once he had their bags, he motioned to the door with his head. "If you would be so kind." Rock hurriedly reached for the door and pulled it open to let Nikolai inside. "Spasibo," he thanked the Japanese man in his native Russian before hurrying inside and strolling up to the desk. The room they were shown to was modest, but spacious and comfortable at the same time. It was on the tenth floor and a balcony overlooked the street below. Once Nikolai had left their bags by the door, he saluted once more. "I will take my leave," he told them. "I will return tomorrow to begin preparations for the meeting with Mister Kells." With that, he turned and left the room.

"Well, he seems lovely," Wolf joked, slamming the door and snatching up his duffle bag. "What a fucking conversationalist. Does he e _ver s_ top talking?"

"At least he didn't bore us with the details," Rock reminded him. "Right now, all I want to do is sleep. If Nikolai insisted on talking, I might have passed out in the back of the car."

"Good point," Wolf said, chuckling to himself as he went into his room. Revy reached for a cigarette and headed to the balcony. It felt uncomfortable to be inside, the air almost too thin to breathe. She needed to relax herself before she worried the others. As soon as she was alone, she leaned against the balcony and exhaled deeply, a quiver in her voice. She felt alone, even amongst friends.

The two men inside were close to her, trusted allies and companions she had known for a while. Most days, their presence, their friendship kept her happy. But now, she could not have felt more isolated. Part of that was due to the fact that she had to deal with her inner demons alone. She was never good at sharing or dumping her emotional baggage on others. Even if she was, this was a unique situation. There was no way she would willingly share her past with others. It was just happenstance that Wolf came to the conclusion that she had been raped by himself. He knew. And if Revy was correct, he would bring it up as soon as he noticed something was wrong. She clutched the sides of her head and winced.

"Get out!" she whispered to herself. She could almost feel herself sweating. "Get out of my head…" The door creaked softly behind her, causing her to snap out of it and stand up straight, stuffing the cigarette back into her mouth. It was Wolf, as predictably as ever. He strode up beside her. Memories of Kane's siege of the city popped into her head, unwelcome flickers of the moments they shared during that time.

"So," the assassin began leaning his back against the balcony and looking towards the door, likely keeping an eye out for Rock. Whatever he was about to say, he assumed Rock would not be a welcome part of the conversation that followed. "Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"What?" Revy asked, turning her head sharply to look at him.

"Come on," he urged her. "You were real damn quiet during that whole trip here. I know Nikolai didn't offer much in the way of conversation, but hell, the fucking fly on the windshield made more noise than you." Revy went back and forth between the idea of hitting him or storming back inside, unwilling to entertain him. "Don't shut me out," he continued. "I know ya want to." It was not easy for her, it never had been. Knowing Wolf had knowledge of what had happened to her eased the pain of talking about it a bit, but not by much. It was a tricky situation. But she supposed she could not ignore him forever. Sooner or later, something was going to come out about it, whether she willingly brought it up or not.

"I…grew up here," she told him. Wolf's expression said it all. Either he had come to the right conclusion, or he was getting there. "God, this fucking place. Just being here feels like I've been rolling around in shit all day. Don't know why I even accepted the job. Fuck…" Wolf was silent after that, clearly not sure how to proceed. Speaking to Revy was like walking through a minefield, and that feeling of dread and cautiousness was only increased when the topic was her past or anything about her that made her feel vulnerable.

"Then…this is, well, I mean-"

"Yeah," Revy cut him off. She was reaching the end of her tether now. There was no use talking about it anymore. "The sooner we get this job over with, the better. I can't wait to get back to the Yellowflag."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Comrades In Low Places

The old apartment that had been hired out for the meeting with Kells was dark and messy. Judging by the empty shell casings, knives and silencers strewn across almost every surface, Rock theorised Hotel Moscow used this as one of their bases of operations in the city. Rock draped his jacket over the back of the armchair in front of him and took his seat. Wolf and Revy stood behind him menacingly, the assassin having donned his sunglasses. Rock must have looked like quite the Mafioso. Save for the three of them, there was nobody else present. The Russians had the building secured, but they would not be attending the meeting. Even Nikolai, who drove them here, explained that Kells would be along shortly before taking off.

"Where's the damn contact?!" Revy asked as quietly as she was able, obviously on edge that he hadn't arrived yet. As if they weren't apprehensive enough that Augustus was once an employee of Hunter's, the longer they were in New York the more likely it was the Dead Men would find out what they were up to. If that happened, Hunter would no doubt send his people after them. They would be easy prey here in the civilised world, where lawbreaking and slaughter were not so easily done.

"He'll be here," Rock assured her. "From what Nikolai told us, he doesn't really have any other options. Besides, what does he have to lose?" He was saying that more for his own peace of mind than anything. Kells had a lot to lsoe if this all went to hell. But he didn't need to know that. The door opposite finally creaked open slowly after a few more minutes of waiting. The man that entered was middle-aged, possibly the same age as Hunter, with scraggly grey hair and an untamed beard. One of his eyes was clouded over and the other had nasty burn marks dangerously close to it. He closed the door behind him and studied the three envoys of Hotel Moscow curiously. He wore grey slacks, black leather loafers, a clean white shirt that was open at the collar and a gold necklace, at the end of which was a tooth of some sort. It looked eerily human, a fact that sent shivers down Rock's spine. Despite the man's age and apparent injury, he was heavily built, with thick, meaty arms and a chest like a beer keg. He took the seat across from Rock and cleared his throat, producing a cigar from his pocket. He looked like both the equal and opposite of Hunter. Rock couldn't help but wonder how close the two criminals had been before Kells left the Dead Men.

"Mister Okajima," he spoke low, his voice steady and measured. It was more of a croak than a voice. Despite the fact that they anticipated a meeting with a Chinese man, Kells was evidently American judging by his accent. "I hear you want to talk."

"You know why I'm here, I assume," Rock began.

"'Course I know," Kells snapped, exhaling a stream of smoke. "I just want to hear it from you. The Russians tell me you might be able to change my mind. So try me." That was discouraging, They knew Kells had more or less made up his mind already about whther he would help them, he just seemed so determined to stay out of this conflict that it was almost off-putting.

"Well, as you know, I represent Miss Balalaika of Hotel Moscow," Rock went on, determined to do his best here today. They needed Augustus. Even if Hunter's hideout was discovered and the ruling factions did their best to take him out, he was still highly elusive and overwhelmingly smart. No matter what the situation, whether they liked it or not, they needed someone who had worked for the Dead Men to help them with this war. "Hunter Woods has been hiding out in Roanapur for a while now. We need help trying to take him down. I believe you're just the man for the job." Augustus removed the cigar from his mouth and leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowed. Revy immediately began unzipping her jacket in response so that she could easily reach for her Cutlasses if the man tried anything. He noticed that.

"Relax, missus," he told her before his gaze once more fell on Rock. "What makes you think I give a shit about any of this, Mister Okajima? I already told the Russians I wanted no part of this, a fact I'm sure they relayed to you. I was with the Dead Men, I know what they are. I know…Hunter…better than anyone else. I have no interest in going to war with them."

"I understand that," Rock told him. "But our situation is wildly different from anything you've gone through before. You wouldn't be taking on Hunter alone. You'll have the wrath of Hotel Moscow and the Triad behind you. Not to mention the countless killers and assassins who would jump at the chance to get the Dead Men out of their city. We can do this, but we need your help." Augustus's eyes remained fixed on the Japanese man as he thought on that.

"You're a smart kid," he said then, shoving the cigar back in between his lips and inhaling deeply. "I can see that right away. But there ain't no way this is going to end well for you. You wipe one of his people of the face of the Earth and he'll find someone even worse to replace them. I'm telling you, the Dead Men…there's no taking them down. You've already lost your little war."

"If you believe that, then you're as good as dead," Rock blurted out in an attempt to stop the man from leaving. They couldn't afford to let him go. If he refused to help them, their chances of beating Hunter would be significantly reduced. Even if Hotel Moscow decided to take Kells to Roanapur by force, it was likely he would outright refuse to help them. If he didn't flee or take his own life first, that is. It sounded like he would rather be dead than be in the same city as Hunter. To him, both were the same thing. "I understand you're afraid. You kniow more about Hunter than anyone, you have evry right to be. But if you stay here, there's no escape. He will come for you eventually and when he does, we won't be there to keep you alive. But if you help us, if you come back to Roanapur and help us catch him, you'll be safe. You can live your life in peace without looking over your shoulder. But only if you work with us." Augustus was clearly adamant that going along with this would only end in his own death. While that was true, what he failed to see was that he might take the Dead Men down with him. Either that, or he just wasn't willing to see himself die even if it meant sparing everyone else the pain and oppression that the Dead Men dished out. He squirmed in his seat as he thought on what Rock had said. They needed this, more than he knew. This was their last hope to truly get an advantage over the Dead Men. Without Augustus at their side, it would be a long, bloody conflict that might well end in the deaths of Roanapur's leaders. Kells took the cigar from his mouth and pointed to his clouded over eye with his free hand.

"You see this?" he asked Rock. "You look at it long and hard, now. Don't look away. That's Hunter's handiwork. Hunter Woods…what a fucking jackass. I grew up with that man. We lived a few doors down from him. I still remember his mom cooking me dinner some nights. And he did this the second I told him I wanted out of his operation." Kells fell silent then, staring blankly into space at the thought of what had happened to him.

"What did he do to you?" Rock asked quietly. "What happened that made you so afraid of him?" Augustus looked up at the Japanese man, anger and pain in his eyes.

"He took my wife from me," he said then, his voice low but steady. "I wanted out. After years of working for that maniac, I told him I wanted to leave, to be with my wife and live out the rest of our lives in peace. And you know what he did? Her fucking shot her, right in front of me. Then he did this." He pointed to his face once again, the right eye clouded over and covered with burn marks that stretched across the bridge of his nose. "Took a damn heated iron to my face, said I needed to learn my place. I think deep down, he was jealous. My wife was a defector from one of the competitors of the Dead Men. It pissed Hunter off to see me with her. So when I said I was leaving to be with her…it just set him off. Goddamn it." He sat back in his chair and put the cigar back in his mouth. "You know how hard this is gonna be."

"I do," Rock said solemnly, saddened by the man's story. "But if we win…he'll be dead. You'll have your revenge at last. And you'd be helping us keep our people safe." They all knew how this was going to end. Even Rock deduced that Kells would most likely die if he came back with them. If Hunter didn't kill him, Hotel Moscow might in a bid to tie up any loose ends. A former member of one of their enemies would not be tolerated, least of all by Balalaika. She was a vicious woman who would destroy any and all possible opposition. Nevertheless, they needed Kells and Rock would say anything to win him over.

"You really think you can take these people down?" Augustus asked. There was hope in his face. That was good. Rock had him right where he wanted him.

"One of his people is already dead," he explained. "A man called Max Kepler. One of our own killed him recently."

"Kepler, seriously?!" Augustus asked, clearly surprised by this knowledge. "He was always a nasty piece of work. And you managed to take him out?" He fell silent and took another drag of his cigar. He appeared to be considering his options, but Rock knew they had him. He was coming back with them no matter what now. "Well, I'm probably going to regret this…but fuck it, what do I have to lose, right?"

"Right," Rock agreed. "I'm glad to hear you'll be helping us with this."

"I'm sure you are," he told him. "Alright. I'm going to leave my address with the Russian guy outside, although I'm willing to bet my handsomest nut they already have it. You can pick me up when you're leaving." With that, he rose and left through the door he had entered through minutes before. Nikolai entered seconds later.

"Were you out there this whole time?" Wolf asked. They assumed he had left to see to other matters.

"Da," the Russian confirmed. "I hear everything out there. Nice work, Mister Okajima. Miss Balalaika will be pleased." Indeed, had this turned out any other way, they had no doubt Balalaika would have been livid. She wanted this to go off without a hitch more than any of them. All that remained now was to return home and take the fight to Hunter.

"That was easy," Revy piped up. "So, when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow. Afternoon." That was unexpected. Right now, it was only nine in the morning. They assumed they would be going later today. To discover that they would be spending another day here was disconcerting to say the least. Revy, in particular, looked as though she would rather swim back to Thailand than spend another minute here.

"What the fuck are we going to do for another day?" Wolf asked.

"You'll figure something out," Nikolai told them seriously. "I have work to do. Will be waiting outside the hotel at one tomorrow. Do not be late. Balalaika was clear she did not want to waste time."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: If You Could See Me Now

Revy gently wiped the dirt off her left boot with the right, never taking her gaze from the building across the street. It was particularly cold today, as snowflakes lackadaisically floated down from above to cake the roads and sidewalks of New York in their ashen glow. The streets were bustling, too, as they always were this time of year. Christmas was only a week and a half away, after all. It was to be expected that the city's people would be out and about every day to make preparations. The very idea almost made Revy retch. Christmas, what a farce. If any of these people had any real problems, they would not bother with such nonsense, she thought to herself. Even when she had been here during her younger days, before she ever came to Roanapur, the city had been like this. And she hated every second of it, due in no small part to her father.

She hadn't thought about him in a long time. Even when she learned she would be coming here, he hadn't been in her memories. But now that she was here, now that she had had time to let it sink in that she was back, she found herself thinking about him. She could remember that day all too well. An image of feathers blowing in the wind came to her mind, the pillow exploding after she let off a shot into her father's pathetic body. His blood stained the floor, drenching Revy's feet as she left the apartment.

She did not regret killing him. He was a cruel, pathetic man who was unfit to take care of himself, never mind a daughter. He was always drunk or passed out, caring less about his own daughter than the mice in the floorboards. She hated him, plain and simple. And to even have him in her thoughts felt like he was winning, working his way inside her head. She immediately expelled him from her mind and reached for a cigarette, shoving it into her mouth and lighting it.

The flame of the lighter shone its orange glow across her face and provided momentary heat against the chill of the falling snow. Despite the bustling streets of New York and the time of year, the particular street of Chinatown Revy was on could not have been more deserted. One or two people would pass by every few minutes but that was it. She knew this street, all too well. She knew why it was as empty as it was. But if any trouble came looking for her, she would have no problem with unleashing her Cutlasses in response. A couple of men yelled at her or whistled in their cars as they drove past, spouting derogatory, sexist nonsense at her in some attempt to make themselves look good. She ignored them, for the most part.

In all honesty, her attention was not on the foolish juveniles in the cars that passed her by. It was fixated on the building directly across the street. She did not recognise anyone going in and out, like she thought she might. They were all new faces, her age or older. Rock and Wolf were back at the hotel, none the wiser that the 'walk' she told them she was going for was actually an attempt to revisit the places she had been in the past, the sources of all her pain. Perhaps she was maturing, learning that she needed to face her problems instead of running away from them. Or maybe she just wanted to burn the place to the ground. She hadn't decided yet.

Either way, here she was, face to face with the 27th Precinct Police Station of Chinatown. This was where it happened. After her father beat her, after she ran out and got taken on the street, this was where they brought her back. She would relish at the opportunity to storm in there and wipe out every last cop inside. But even she knew she couldn't do that, as much as she wanted to. It would cause more problems than anything, even if it would make her feel better. Besides, the faces were all unknown to her. She did not know any of them, she would be gunning down innocents. That wasn't really her style.

What she really needed was closure, though she did not quite understand that herself. As much as she wanted to deny it, her past had scarred her beyond recognition, turning her into the woman she was today. Deep down, somewhere in the darkest corners of her soul, she wanted a normal life, or at least longed for the taste of one. But that could never happen now, due in no small part to her upbringing in this dark city, devoid of all compassion and kindness. That was how she viewed it anyway, after her experiences here.

"That wasn't much of a walk," the voice came from her left. It was Wolf, turning the corner onto the street and starting towards Revy. She was not in the mood to talk to him. Last night had been bad enough, exposing herself like that, leaving herself vulnerable. As noble as the assassin's intentions were, his interference in Revy's life was not welcome. It annoyed her more than she told him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, not taking her eyes from the police station. Wolf fell in beside her and produced a small bottle of whiskey from the inside of his jacket, unscrewing it and downing a quarter of it.

"I, uh…I needed to clear my head," he told her. Truthfully, she had been waiting for him to break down. After Lucille, he left the city entirely, for as of yet unknown reasons, on a rampage that wiped out the Golden Legion, a miniscule, troublesome band of terrorists in Thailand's countryside. After he returned, he was different. Distracted and hopeless, almost, made soft by his experiences. Since then, he hadn't been the same. His mood had been subdued and solemn, while his conscience seemed to dictate every decision he made, radically different from how he behaved when he first came to Roanapur.

It was only a matter of time before the false façade of satisfaction and well-being melted away and the broken, frail assassin was left to deal with his own demons. "Christ, it's been a shitty few weeks. I…don't know what the fuck to do anymore." Once he spotted the police station, he tucked the bottle back inside his jacket just to be safe. "I've been in a weird place the last while. You know better than anyone. You know when I went out there, out to the country? I was trying to change. I was paranoid I was getting soft. The old me wouldn't think like that, he'd shoot first and ask questions later. I…tried so hard to be that guy again. And, well, I suppose I failed. Usagi proves that, sitting in my apartment back home." He remained silent for a few seconds. Revy wasn't sure if he was expecting a response or not. By now, all the cops across the street had cleared out of the station, clearly out doing other things. "I don't even know who I am anymore."

"You done bitching about your problems?" Revy snapped. That startled the assassin, causing him to step back, practically recoiling at the sharpness of her words. "You're fucking pathetic. You and Rock? You're the same. Every guy wants to be the big fucking hero and save the damsel in distress. And now you think you got problems? Give me a break. If you had any idea what I been through, you'd take that feeling you got right now and fucking run with it. 'Cause you'd realise just how lucky you really are. And you have the nerve to think I wanna hear this shit. Come back to me when you have something real to talk about." Instinctually, Wolf reached for her arm and grabbed it, leaning close to her with gritted teeth and a glint in his eye that was more animalistic than anything.

"It's not a fucking competition, Revy!" he growled. "You think because the shit you've been through is worse that I should just go shoot myself? Nice. What a fucking personality you have. Get a fucking grip, will ya? I'm sick of your wounded warrior shite. You want to push everyone that gives a shit about you away? Fine. You want to pretend you're the queen shit motherfucker of the world? Go ahead. But you need a serious attitude adjustment." Revy did not hesitate for even a second. She instantly reached into her jacket and grasped the handle of her Cutlass. Wolf was too fast for her. With one hand, he took both her wrists and held them aloft, the Cutlass pointed to the sky. With the other, he held her from behind, holding her in place so she could not move. She struggled violently in an attempt to free herself from his restraint.

"If you let me go, I'll fucking shoot you!"

"You are such a fucking tyrant!" Wolf screamed into her ear as she attempted to kick him, to no avail. "What you went through was horrible. I wouldn't wish it on my worst fucking enemy. But the thing that you don't see is that I get that, I empathise with that. You might not like it, but I do. And you insist on shutting me out all the goddamn time! You have no idea how much the people around you care about you. There are people in Roanapur who would die for you. And you shut them all out, call them pathetic and weak. Maybe it's time to take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror, because they're not the weak ones, Revy. They're not the ones with no self-control, who lose their shit at the smallest things and don't think twice about anyone other than themselves."

Revy's struggling began to cease then, her energy waning and her willingness to resist Wolf's words fading. "I cannot begin to imagine what you've gone through. Frankly, I don't want to. But that doesn't mean you have to fucking ignore the rest of us, damning us to hell and getting on with it in some stupid attempt to prove how tough you are!" When he was done talking, he released her and threw her into the snow in front of them. She fell with a soft thud. Wolf assumed she would rise immediately and take a shot at him. He was fully prepared to disarm her. But she didn't. She just laid there in the road, the slowly melting snow drenching the front of her jacket and skirt. It was debatable whether the moisture on her face was from tears she had actually shed or the snow she was face-down in. Regardless, she did not move.

It had stopped snowing now and the once-bright sun had retreated behind a mass of grey clouds. It was a dark day, one that would likely stay with Wolf and Revy for a long time. Not only had Revy clearly been through the emotional ringer, but the assassin was sifting through his own problems. Secretly, it bothered him for more reasons than one that Revy despised how he compared his own problems to hers. That was something he hated about himself, how he was worried about something so trivial compared to what she had been through. And her aggression played on that, making him feel even worse.

After a few minutes, she placed her hands on the snow and awkwardly clambered to her knees, looking around her lazily. Her gaze once more fell on the police station. She had her Cutlass in her hand. She could easily shoot the place up, or wait for one of the officers to come back and take her anger out on him. But she was tired, so very tired…she needed a long, well-deserved rest. Her mind was troubled, flooded with emotions and feelings she did not know how to process. And she wanted to bawl her eyes out because of that.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Beginning And The End

The morning was surprisingly warm as Revy and Rock sat across from one another in the café across from the hotel. Nikolai would be along shortly. Finally, after this less than pleasant job, they would get to return home. Revy was quiet. As much as she wanted to ignore it, Wolf's words stuck with her. He was right about what he said, at least in part. Revy was never one to open up about her problems or feelings. For the last few years, all she did was shut people out and look down on anyone she deemed weak, possibly because they reminded her of herself and her own past. But what the assassin said to her forced her to take a step back and really have a look at herself as a person, how she had come to this point and what she really wanted from her life.

Roanapur was far from an ideal home, but it was one Revy had been content to live in. At least, that was what she told herself. Something inside her, something suppressed and hidden from view, told her that she secretly hated the city. Her life was by no means glamourous. But it was all she had. Even as she worked to earn money, all in the name of survival, she had never really had an interest in having a life. She truly believed that everyone in Roanapur was already dead, just going through the motions, and as soon as they realised that, they would be set free, without the need to worry about dying. But her outlook had been altered and she had been forced into a position where maybe that wasn't the case anymore.

It would take some time before she truly understood these feelings. For now, she would remain largely the same person, perhaps a bit subdued. But she would come out of this war with Hunter a different woman, for better or for worse.

Rock hadn't said much all morning. Even now, he just sipped away at his tea and refused to even look at Revy. He had no knowledge of her encounter with Wolf so that wasn't why he was being so cold. Perhaps, after all this time, he had finally learned not to pry into Revy's life. Time and time again, he stuck his nose where it wasn't wanted, much to Revy's chagrin. And yet, this morning, that thought caused more pain in Revy than she would have liked. To think she was almost alienating him because he had been conditioned not to prod her for information actually upset her. He didn't deserve that, not even when he was at his most annoying.

She had shut him out for so long, even after he managed to worm his way inside out of concern. Perhaps it was time to try and start confiding in him. After all, he knew more about Revy than most. He trusted her, cared about her. And her feelings towards him were stronger and more complicated than anyone on this Earth knew. Maybe, after such a long time of alienating others and going it alone, it was time to return the trust and compassion Rock bore for Revy.

"You ain't said much since we woke up," she muttered, her head resting on her hand as she stared out the window at the snow. Rock looked up from his tea and set down the mug.

"I could say the same thing about you," he chuckled. "Something on your mind?"

"Nah," she grumbled, uncomfortable at the mere notion that she might actually have a meaningful, exposing conversation with him. "Just thinking is all."

"About Hunter?"

"About you." Upon noticing his reaction, she cleared her throat and winced as though that comment caused her physical pain. "I mean, well…what you said back home before we left. That shit got real, huh?" Rock was calm but it was obvious how invested he was in this conversation. He, too, felt vulnerable and exposed at the mention of his words to her back at Lagoon Company's apartment. While he had been sincere, he perhaps regretted being so explicitly affectionate with his words. Regardless, the damage was done. He was paying for it now, it seemed. There was no backing out of this interaction, he could see it in Revy's face.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he began. "Sorry if it bothers you."

"Don't apologise, goddammit," she scolded him more sharply than she intended. "Just…fuck, I don't know. I wanted to say that, well, maybe it wasn't so bad what ya said."

"Wait a minute," Rock stopped her. "Are you actually thanking me for that?" Revy immediately donned an expression of irritation and gritted her teeth.

"Fuck you, Rock!" she spat. "You want to start dancing now, huh? Maybe I'll buy you a dress when we get back home. Might go nice with your vagina."

"You're saying thanks," Rock repeated. "I never thought I'd see the day." Revy just grunted in response. She was never good at this sort of stuff. The entire conversation was proof of that, how she had stumbled over her words and failed to coherently make a point, relying on Rock to make sense of her ramblings. But she was mildly glad that he appreciated the sentiment, however briefly.

"Hey," she piped up after about a minute of silence. "Whatever happens, I want you to know; I'd feel the same way if our roles were reversed." If their roles were reversed, Revy would be a very different person. Rock, too, for that matter, though in a much darker, more disturbing way. Revy did not want to think about that.

"I know you would," Rock told her softly. He spotted Wolf across the road then, exiting the hotel with their bags. When Rock told him that he and Revy were heading down to the café, the assassin told them he would stay awhile, assuring them he would be down with their bags before Nikolai arrived. There had been some animosity there, some awkwardness that Rock hadn't picked up on. He did not need to know, just like he did not need to know about Revy's past. But like the trauma she had been through, he would find out one day. She was sure of it.

It struck her as odd that he still did not know. Then again, hardly anyone did. But Rock was a special case. If anyone should know, it should be him, not Wolf or Lucille. They had no right to have that knowledge about her. The former S.A.S. soldier, in particular, only knew about Revy's past because of her access to international intel. She must have stumbled across the information in her government's databases. That, or she had been hacking into the C.I.A.'s network during her attack of the city. That was a very ballsy move, if true.

Wolf didn't cross the road and join them. He put on his sunglasses and stood on the sidewalk, his eyes looking towards the road out of the city. That was where Nikolai would come from. It struck Rock as odd that the assassin would not join them, but he thought little of it for the time being. It was not necessarily a problem, just an oddity. Nikolai's limousine pulled up about ten minutes later. As soon as they spotted him, Rock and Revy rose and exited the café.

"Ready to go home, I presume," the Russian called to them as they crossed the street.

"Fucking A, we're ready," Revy called back, her mood seemingly lightened for whatever reason.

"Very good. Miss Balalaika will be glad things went as expected." They all hopped into the limousine as soon as Nikolai had their bags packed away. The journey to Augustus's apartment was quiet and relaxed, again with an air of tension between the two killers. Despite how things had turned out, there still existed an antagonism between them that would only fade with time. Once they got back home, a night at the Yellowflag would probably help settle things between them. If it didn't, a gunfight surely would, though that was far less agreeable. Kells hopped into the back of the limousine and sat across from the other three, his suitcase left out on the sidewalk. Nikolai reluctantly climbed from the vehicle and snatched up the suitcase carelessly.

"You alright grabbing that, Ruskie?" Kells asked, much to the shock of Rock and the amusement of Revy. Nikolai grunted derisively in response before packing the suitcase in the trunk. He hopped back inside to get out of the cold and started towards the airfield. "So, what happens when we get to Roanapur, kid?" The question was apparently directed at Rock.

"We'll meet with Balalaika first," he answered, though it was more likely they would all be going back home to bed as soon as they landed considering it would be nine in the morning and they would have presumably been awake for seventeen hours straight. "She'll explain the situation to you, though she doesn't know much more beyond what you already know. After that, she'll ask you to help any way you can. Hunter has only been around for two weeks now, maybe less. She'll want him gone as soon as possible."

"Believe me, kid, the sooner we tackle the Dead Men the better." His thick hands went to the tooth around his neck as he rubbed it between his fingers. It must have been important to him. Either that or he was just very morbid. "You like the tooth?" Rock pulled his gaze from it immediately, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I, uh-"

"It's alright," Kells assured him. "It's Hunter's. The second that bastard stuck a hot iron to my face, I reached for the first thing I could find and smacked him across the jaw. Lucky for me that thing I grabbed was a fucking slab of wood. I grabbed the tooth before taking off." None of them said anything for several seconds as they took in what he had just said.

"Why?" Wolf asked, breaking the silence.

"Why not?" Kells answered simply. "He took a piece of me when he killed my wife, took a bit more when he did this to my face. So I paid him back, at least in part. But he'll get what's due before the end, I'll make sure of it. Even if it's the last thing I do, even if it kills me, I will take his life."

"Perfect," Wolf joked. As sad as it was to admit, Rock knew the assassin was right. The fact that Kells was willing to sacrifice himself to bring down Hunter boded well for them, especially considering how Hotel Moscow would view the man as expendable. The fact that he would probably die in Roanapur anyway just solidified that fact.

It was almost over now. They could all feel it in their bones, Hunter had been the first established crime lord to pose this much of a threat to Roanapur, and god willing he would be the last aggressor to enter the city. Too much had happened this last year and a half. Sif's arrival was bad enough, the appearance of her Wolf Pack seemingly the worst thing that could have happened at the time. How foolish and naïve they all were. Kane was along shortly after to show them all how dangerous outsiders could truly be. Wolf Pack had been nothing compared to the aggressive conquerors known as the Black Marchers. The mark they left on the city was still prevalent today. And then, of course, there had been Lucille. Her skill and combat prowess alone could rival those of anyone else in the city. She was a formidable weapon of unrivalled proportions, now just another killer operating in the city of death and destruction. But Rock was glad she survived, as terrified as he had been of her during her aggression towards the ruling factions. She would no doubt be a very valuable ally in the war to come.

Soon, it would all be over. Roanapur would be free of this conflict and its residents could at last relax and go back to living their lives. Whether Roanapur's future involved Hotel Moscow and the Triad was still up for debate. Lagoon Company had work to do. They needed to finish this, once and for all.


End file.
